Warning: Contains spoilers for The Outer Banks Season 4.Outer Banks Season 4 is already full of suspenseful adventure, but the show also introduced a whole new threat in the form of the terrifying “Bend over“. As season 3 concluded, the Outer Banks Crew of JJ Maybank (Rudy Pankow), John B. Routledge (Chase Stokes), Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline), Pope Hayward (Jonathan Daviss), Kiara Carrera (Madison Bailey), and Cleo Anderson (Carlacia Grant) met quickly. In their ultimate treasure hunt – for the storied pirate Blackbeard’s treasure from the real-life Outer Banks. As it turns out, this puts JJ and Kiara in danger from a surprising source.
As viewers learn, Wes Genrette is only interested in retrieving a specific amulet from the highly protected shipwreck and not the entire treasure, believing that the item is connected to a curse that haunts his family. Due to the shipwreck’s proximity to the Coast Guard base, the group dives for the amulet at night, sending Kiara and JJ underwater. A mysterious villain then viciously attacks them over the treasure and destroys their diving gear. As a result, JJ and Kiara become seriously ill with “The bend,” and rushed to the hospital. “The bend“Refers to decompression sickness – a potentially deadly real-life condition.
The bends (aka decompression sickness) happen when bubbles form in the blood and tissues
JJ and Kiara suffer the ribbon when their gear is tampered with
After the fight in the shipwreck, JJ and Kiara struggle for air and become extremely ill when they reach the surface. The group rushes their friends to the hospital for their trouble breathing and brutal pains. “The bend“is slang for decompression sickness, a phenomenon in which dissolved gases (usually, nitrogen) form bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues (through. National Institute of Health).
The disease occurs due to a rapid decrease in pressure in the surrounding area, which makes it most common for scuba divers. Divers dive with compressed nitrogen and oxygen, and if divers surface too suddenly, the nitrogen does not have time to dissolve properly, which causes the bubbles (through Harvard Health Publishing). The condition gains its nickname because of the intense joint and bone pains that occur during the process.
How the bandages are cured (is it only with a hyperbaric chamber?)
There are several treatment options for the bends
in Outer BanksKiara and JJ are placed in a hyperbaric chamber at the hospital to treat their decompression sickness. This is the optimal treatment for the condition, but in emergency situations far from hospitals, there are several other on-the-spot measures to take. Maintaining blood pressure and administering fluids at the scene is imperative.
The hyperbaric chamber is a high-pressure unit that administers patients 100% oxygen to reverse the effects of decompression sickness.
The hyperbaric chamber is a high-pressure unit that administers patients 100% oxygen to reverse the effects of decompression sickness. The chamber also liquefies the nitrogen, allowing it to pass through the body over the course of several hours with fewer side effects (through. Harvard Health Publishing). As viewers see in Outer Banks Season 4, Kiara and JJ are told to stay in the chamber for 12 hours. The injury is likely just the first of many to come as the crew continues to dive headfirst into adventure in Outer Banks It’s also a pertinent reminder of the real-life dangers of scuba diving.
Sources: National Institutes of Health, Harvard Health Publishing