ebullism, formation of bubbles in the bodily fluids because of an extreme reduction in the surrounding pressure. Aircraft pilots are susceptible to ebullism when they venture into the upper atmosphere; the higher the pilot goes, the lower the surrounding pressure becomes.
In the atmospheric pressure at sea level (760 mm of mercury), water boils at 212 °F (100 °C). When the pressure on a liquid is reduced, the boiling temperature of that liquid also decreases. At the altitude of 18,590 metres (about 61,000 feet; or at 47 mm of pressure) the temperature required to boil water is only 98 °F (36.7 °C). A person’s normal body temperature is also about 98 °F, which means that liquids and tissues containing water in the body begin to vaporize at this pressure. To prevent ebullism, pilots wear pressurized suits or stay in pressurized cabins.
The symptoms include bubbles in the membranes of the mouth and eyes, swelling of the skin, and bubbles in the blood. Circulation and respiration may be impaired or stopped. The brain tissue can be starved of oxygen because of blockage of arteries, and the lungs may show signs of swelling and hemorrhage. Death will result unless recompression is rapid enough to reduce the bubbles before tissue damage occurs.