How does airplane cabin altitude commonly affect dissolved gases in the body?

• A. It has no effect on dissolved gases.
• B. It reduces nitrogen solubility and prevents gas formation.
• C. It can promote nitrogen bubble formation if decompression occurs, contributing to decompression sickness.
• D. It only affects patients with active seizures.

Answer: (C)

When you raise altitude (lower ambient pressure), the gases dissolved in your blood and tissues want to stay in solution less because the pressure is lower. In a cabin pressurized to around 8,000 feet, nitrogen remains dissolved, but this solubility is delicate. If a rapid decompression happens, the sudden drop in pressure causes dissolved nitrogen to come out of solution and form bubbles in blood and tissues. These bubbles can disrupt blood flow and tissue function, leading to decompression sickness or gas emboli. So the best answer is that nitrogen bubble formation can occur if decompression occurs, contributing to decompression sickness. The other options aren’t right because pressure changes do affect dissolved gases, and the risk isn’t limited to people with seizures.