ABSTRACT
Inert gas narcosis refers to a clinical syndrome characterized by impairment of intellectual and neuromuscular performance and changes in mood and behaviour. It is produced by an increased partial pressure of some inert gasses. In compressed air exposure, these changes, which have been observed for more than 100 years, are caused by nitrogen. e eects are progressive with increasing depth but not with increasing time at the same depth. e word ‘inert’ indicates that these gases exert their eect without undergoing metabolic change in the body, rather than inert gas in the biophysical sense.
