Maritime Medicine

Prof. Dr. Andreas Koch

At sea and under water man´s body and mind are stressed by a number of physiologic and psychological challenges which arise from the maritime environment.
Aboard a ship, motion sickness may become a relevant health challenge, beside other climatic and travel medical factors.
Inside open water and particular during professional or recreational diving the individuum is additionally burdened by multiple changes in the ambient physical conditions, which have significant influence on human physiology.
Changes in the partial pressures of breathing gases during diving may gain significant influence on physiological processes to the point of toxic effects of under normal pressure harmless gases. A particular focus is set here on hyperoxia, hypercapnia and the narcotic effects of nitrogen.
Furthermore, darkness, coldness and extreme ambient conditions can have a severe impact on the diver´s mind, thus possibly leading to erroneous reactions in an emergency situation.
Maritime Medicine addresses both, the physiologic and psychological questions, which arise from the mentioned above issues.

Prof. Dr. Andreas Koch

Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy (HBOT)

Coming historically from Diving Medicine, HBOT has nowadays developed towards a multidisciplinary therapeutic option in a number of medical fields, where the application of hyperbaric pure oxygen causes positive clinical effects, because of the physical and/or biochemical properties of extreme high tissue pO2.

Since the complex effects of hyperbaric hyperoxia are currently not fully understood, there is need for basic as well as clinical research in this field.

Research Description

The Section for Maritime Medicine currently focuses primarily on research in basic cellular and inflammation-modulating effects of hyperbaric oxygenation, special aspects in diving physiology, and questions in sea sickness:

Our work focuses on translational research and contributes to the expansion of the clinical use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) beyond diving accidents and carbon monoxide intoxication. The immunological response to HBOT, which leads to immunomodulatory effects on the T- and B-cell compartments, is of particular interest.

Project leader

Team

Publications

  • Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

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    Decreased endothelin receptor A autoantibody levels are associated with early ischaemic events in patients with giant-cell arteritis.

    Klapa S, Müller A, Koch A, Heidecke H, Kähler W, Junker J, Schinke S, Riemekasten G, Lamprecht P

    DOI:

    https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215341

  • Free Radical Research

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    Effect of hyperoxia on the immune status of oxygen divers and endurance athletes

    Tillmans F, Sharghi R, Noy T, Kähler W, Klapa S, Sartisohn S, Sebens S, Koch A

    DOI:

    https://doi.org/10.1080/10715762.2019.1612890

  • PraxisMagazin

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    Tanzen – ein gesunder Präventionssport

    Koch A, Kähler W, Klapa S

  • PraxisMagazin

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    See- und Reisekrankheit – Altbekannt und doch immer noch aktuell.

    Koch A, Sartisohn S, Grams B, Kähler W, Klapa S

  • DruckPunkt

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    Tauchen und Hypertonie

    Koch A, Weisser B