200ft dive, but avoids the Chamber

[do it easy]

The risk of raising a question is that it will seem like an accusation sometimes. I was only wondering and being honest about my thoughts, because there are people who will read that and wonder, they might not post, but they will wonder "so, why didn't this guy get a ride?" And yes, most people will trust the physician. I trust physicians except for when they are being told what to do by bean counters. They (docs) rely on us to keep the bean counters in check with a little scrutiny. They want to provide the optimal care, in my experience.

Just to set the record straight, I think they are good questions to ask. I don't think that you are pointing any fingers. I was just offering my opinion and perspective.

 

[DandyDon]

I thought even with limited evidence that hot showers after diving may increase your chances of bringing on DCS by bringing nitrogen out of solution. To be on the safe side should they be avoided?

http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/hyperbaric.html

Yes, for a few hours perhaps. I think from his post that it had been a few hours as he was calling from home and they live a few hours from dive sites - I think.

If I come out cold, tho - my computer is happy and there is a warm shower available, I'm hitting it.

 

[MASS-Diver]

I thought even with limited evidence that hot showers after diving may increase your chances of bringing on DCS by bringing nitrogen out of solution. To be on the safe side should they be avoided?

http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/hyperbaric.html

I've never heard that taking a hot shower will "bring the N2 out of solution" and that makes no sense to me.

However, I have heard that a hot shower will screw with your circulation (more periheral vasodilation) that can increases your chances of getting bent, espically if you have just pulled off a borderline dive.

From the deco MDs I've heard speak, the common thread in most cases of DCS is dehydration.

 

[The Chairman]

Any serious study of Henry's law will show that it is temperature dependent. A liquid can absorb MORE gas the colder it gets. Anything that will increase your body's core temperature (like a really hot shower) may very well contribute to DCS.

 

[DandyDon]

Any serious study of Henry's law will show that it is temperature dependent. A liquid can absorb MORE gas the colder it gets. Anything that will increase your body's core temperature (like a really hot shower) may very well contribute to DCS.

Get a cold can of coke, and a warm one - shake both, open outdoors. You'll experience the difference.

 

[WesTexDiver]

Any serious study of Henry's law will show that it is temperature dependent. A liquid can absorb MORE gas the colder it gets. Anything that will increase your body's core temperature (like a really hot shower) may very well contribute to DCS.

This is a great point..

There is a reson it is called SIT time.....not run around and play beach volleyball time..If you dive on the outer perimeters of the dive tables this become more important than say a 20 minute skirmish at 30 feet. My instructor made sure to point out these laws and their effects on the human body in Open Water Certification class. Although the effects on the human body are all theoretical, as i am not sure anyone has tested the effects on humans. The Law clearly states the effects of Heat.


Just my 2 cents..

 

[The Chairman]

Although the effects on the human body are all theoretical, as i am not sure anyone has tested the effects on humans.

I believe this has been empirically proven using humans. This is why a "cold" dive (anything under 75 degrees F) makes us use the next letter group (at least for a NAUI table). One should remember that tables, as well as computers use the SWAG method for computing the Nitrogen loading within our various tissue compartments. There are no direct measurements taking place in all of this.

 

[smatterchu]

Yes, for a few hours perhaps. I think from his post that it had been a few hours as he was calling from home and they live a few hours from dive sites - I think.

If I come out cold, tho - my computer is happy and there is a warm shower available, I'm hitting it.

You're right. We went out at 10:00 a.m. and this was about 9:00 p.m. by the time I got the shower. -But that's good info about hot showers.

For my situation, Pete was pretty certain it was nerves because we were not going very deep at all. This was my checkout dive for OW, so he was fairly safe in assuming it was 'nerves'....(and possibly some tank carrying fatigue)...this chick isn't used to hefting a bunch of big ol' tanks!!

 

[Gradual Ascent]

Further research turned up this:

"a hot shower taken by the subjects on completion of the cold air exposure (6 h postdecompression) precipitated mild type I symptoms of decompression sickness. ..

Development of type I symptoms following a 12-h saturation, a 3-h cold exposure, and a subsequent hot shower suggests that a rapid rise in peripheral temperature may cause a significant rise in tissue gas tension. This increase in tension does not seem to be sufficiently reduced by increased perfusion to the tissues to prevent bubble formation..."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=2800052&query_hl=12&itool=pubmed_ExternalLink

Interesting. If I read this correctly cold then hot shower, even after a relatively long time could lead to Type I symptoms.

You're right. We went out at 10:00 a.m. and this was about 9:00 p.m. by the time I got the shower. -But that's good info about hot showers.

For my situation, Pete was pretty certain it was nerves because we were not going very deep at all. This was my checkout dive for OW, so he was fairly safe in assuming it was 'nerves'....(and possibly some tank carrying fatigue)...this chick isn't used to hefting a bunch of big ol' tanks!!

 

[TeddyDiver]

Does anyone else out there believe we need to keep an eye on our insurance companies, to feel satisfied that they are delivering the services we pay for? As budget constraints become more and more of a factor, you see HMO's limit treatments by raising the threshold for said treatment. (in some cases)

I'm not sure were you referring to DAN, but to make it clear:
DAN is not an insurance company.
DAN insurance is actually a membership of DAN.
All DAN members are insured in "real" insurance companies.

So DAN is not paying the bills due chamber treatments etc, and bcs of this there's no "budget constraints" by DAN limiting treatment, and DAN can make the "calls" just based by facts and professional judgement. Ofcourse there's allways a possibility to poor decisions, like in every human actitivity, but anyway..