A Minor (TRUE) Horror Story

[leadweight]

My first reaction to this story was along the lines of the physical exertion comments as made by Dr. Deco. He has made that point so often that I have become nearly alergic to doing anything more active than sitting down for lunch and a good nap after a few dives. Try it, it feels good.

Meanwhile, I wonder if the profiles in question were square, what computer was in use, and why the diver managed to inadvertently miss his deco stops. Was he narced?

At any rate, he lis lucky to have survived as well as he did. Don't be so mean to him, you have not walked in his shoes, as they say.

 

[The Iceni]

Bren Tierney once bubbled...
Anyway, 8am on Monday, I took my carcass down to Casualty (the ER) at the Southern General Hospital. This was another mistake,
Peter

The last real doctor to work for the NHS left but forgot to turn out the lights.

Peter was not really wrong to go to his local hospital as he was in denial (possibly as a result of cerebral DCI) and did not want to admit to being bent. Sadly he has obviously been watching too much television (Casualty, Holby City, The Royal?). A&E departments of British district general hospitals are not IN ANY WAY the equivalent of an American ER, although our politicians and NHS managers would have us ordinary mortals believe they are even better. (They are, however, just as busy.)

The reality is that A&E departments are nothing more than an advanced dressing station where the casualty is patched up and passed on. The doctors (cas officers) are only recently qualified and have little experience in any speciality and as your friend Peter discovered will know very little about diving medicine.

(Why should they? Bent divers go to a hyperbaric unit not to A&E!)

By the way, I should know. I was once a cas officer and at that time knew absolutely nothing about the medical treatment of DCI even though I was already a trained diver!!.

Like most I am sure, I knew immediately, that the deco on the first dive was not enough - without the need to look at dive tables. so I wonder what Peter's buddy was doing? I thought the idea of having a buddy was to ensure such gross mistakes did not happen so consider Peter's buddy was just as much to blame. I am, however, very glad that Peter recovered. It could have been so different.

I do believe denial is a recognised symptom of DCI and the fact that Peter's unfortunate story is so full of "obvious mistakes" confirms my opinion.

I suspect hypothermia also played a major part.

By the way Bren. I consider you and Peter were right (and very brave) to publish his story so we can all learn from it, at the obvious risk of being flamed. ut:

So the message is loud and clear.

Diver casualties must be taken to a hyperbaric unit.

 

[scuberd]

Dr Paul Thomas once bubbled...
(Why should they? Bent divers go to a hyperbaric unit not to A&E!)

I can't say for the UK, but in America, or at least California, divers must go to the hospital first. The chamber is a perscription treatment that only a doctor can have administered.

 

[Dr Deco]

Dear Readers:

Call DAN

Many thanks for all of the replies on this story.

I will not be back to a computer station until Sunday afternoon. Bye for now!

Dr Deco :doctor:

[On vacation this week] :mean:

 

[The Iceni]

scuberd once bubbled...
I can't say for the UK, but in America, or at least California, divers must go to the hospital first. The chamber is a perscription treatment that only a doctor can have administered.

Hi scuberd,

My querky British humour has obviously misfired here! The point I was emphasising is that not all hospitals have a hyperbaric unit. In the UK at least the vast majority of inland hospitals do not. I doubt there is a single hospital in Arizona with a chamber.

In summary scuberd is right but I would put it as follows;-

"All hyperbaric units are found in hospitals but not all hospitals have hyperbaric units."

This is why we doctors repeatedly emphasis that injured divers must call DAN (or the local hyperbaric unit in the UK.) As speed of recompression is of the essence. Peter did himself no favours in delaying treatment by going to his local district general hospital.

A call by Peter to the nearest class 1 chamber at Aberdeen would have been taken VERY seriously, even perhaps with mobilisation of an air ambulance.

As well as a good buddy, in my humble opinion an essential item of diving equipment to have, pre dive, is the telephone number of the local chamber.

PS. I wonder if it ever occurred to Peter that his buddy might also have had DCI, could have been more seriously bent and could very well have also been alone with no help?

 

[AzAtty]

Surprise Dr. Paul! St. Joseph's in Phoenix, Arizona has an entire hyperbaric medicine department, complete with a chamber.

Not terribly surprising, though, as Phoenix is only a few hours from several tourist destinations along the west coast of Mexico.

 

[The Iceni]

AzAtty once bubbled...
Arizona has an entire hyperbaric medicine department, complete with a chamber. . . only a few hours from several tourist destinations along the west coast of Mexico.

Damn!!!

I thought Arizona was mostly desert. Nice catch Azatty!

 

[Dr Deco]

Dear Readers:

Hyperbaric Units

In the United States, quite a few hospitals have a hyperbaric unit for the treatment of many conditions, primarily wounds that are difficult to heal. SCUBA diving problems are also treated.

When Calling

It is important to let the unit know, if you are the one doing the calling, that the problem is connected with SCUBA diving and not with diving into the water . In the latter case, the hospital will think that this is a head or neck injury, and the treatment could be delayed until this is straightened out.

Peculiar, but it happens.

Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[The Iceni]

Dr Deco once bubbled...
Dear Readers:

Hyperbaric Units

In the United States, quite a few hospitals have a hyperbaric unit for the treatment of many conditions, primarily wounds that are difficult to heal. SCUBA diving problems are also treated.
Dr Deco :doctor:

Hi Dr Deco,

Once more cultural differences may apply. We have a chamber in my village, as it happens. It provides treatment for the sufferers of multiple sclerosis and wounds but it only pressurises to 60 feet and cannot treat divers.

Confusion reigns!

 

[narcT]

If this excel spreadsheet thingie is right

If he was using air (21/79) his deco obligation for just the first dive alone is

4.5m = XX minutes
6m = X minutes
9m = XX minutes
12m = X minutes

Total of 68 minutes deco required, he did 8 minutes of deco then did a second dive to 30.4m? WOW

Your a lucky man....