Which treatment is specifically associated with hypercapnia in diving?

• A. Abort the dive and increase ventilation
• B. Descend deeper to increase ambient pressure
• C. Hold breath to conserve energy
• D. Ignore symptoms and continue diving

Answer: (A)

Hypercapnia in diving means there is too much CO2 in the body because ventilation isn’t adequate to blow it off. The best course of action is to abort the dive and increase ventilation, so the diver can expel the excess CO2. Stopping the dive removes the ongoing exposure to the problematic breathing pattern or air supply, and increasing ventilation helps drive CO2 out of the body, ideally with access to fresh air at a safer depth or on the surface. Descending deeper would worsen the CO2 buildup, holding the breath prevents CO2 removal, and ignoring symptoms allows the condition to deteriorate.