[Effect of a nitrogen admixture in the inhaled oxygen on the effectiveness of 2-hour desaturation before decompression from 760 to 220 mm Hg].

The ground-based experimental study of denitrogenation by oxygen breathing showed that two-hour denitrogenation was inadequate if the breathing gas contained about 10% nitrogen or if the process included 3-10 min of air breathing. The reduction of the nitrogen content in the breathing gas to 0.4-5% eliminated severe forms of the decompression disease and decreased significantly the incidence of its mild forms to 3.2%. This allowed work of moderate load at the ambient pressure 220 mm Hg after two-hour breathing of oxygen with nitrogen admixture of no more than 5%.