Advice in the UK

[Conor]

Hi

I have an unusual request and will totally understand if the response is a resounding 'NO'.

I have a friend who came with me to learn to dive, but was limited to 10M by a local doctor due to asthma and as such couldn't do his OW. The local doctor would not have had the time or opportunity to fully investigate his cercumstances.

He is still interested in diving but has been put off by this knock back, and now some of his friends are diving more and more is beginning to suffer.

I was wondering if any of the UK medics on the board would be willing to have a brief email exchange with him (off the record), to see if he would be likely to be cleared for diving if he was to see a diving doctor.

Once again sorry for the unusual request but I would like to see this guy get the opportunity to try diving.

Cheers

Conor

 

[DocVikingo]

Not a UK medic, but am familiar with BSAC's basic history, structure & medical standards for fitness to dive. Enjoy traveling there, as well.

The depth limitation of 10M reportedly imposed by the local doctor makes little real sense to me and, in any event, a full work up should be completed before any such decisions are made.

As such, I would suggest that your friend be evaluated by a physician with dive medicine training. BSAC approved medical referees in his area can be located here---> http://www.sheriffbank.freeserve.co.uk/medical referees.htm

If he is interested, he can look at BSAC standards for asthma here---> http://www.sheriffbank.freeserve.co.uk/standards- asthma.htm

Cheers.

DocVikingo

 

[nickjb]

Here are the 'official' bsac pages for medical info:

http://www.bsac.org/medical/index.html


Your pages are much prettier, Doc

It is well worth going to see a doctor who knows about diving. My friend saw one and was very satisfied.

 

[The Iceni]

Conor once bubbled...
a friend . . . was limited to 10M by a local doctor due to asthma.

Hi Conor,

You request has been aswered above - be quided by the experts.

Sadly, very few GPs have any real knowledge of diving medicine (or indeed any other specialist subject) unless, like me, they have a particular interest in the subject.

There are a number of medical organisations in the UK who profess to be the experts in diving medicine. I gather the one recognised by BSAC is the UK Sport Diving Medical Commitee, which appear, in the main, to be cardiologists.

BSAC advice was last updated in 1996. However, the British Thoracic Society has recently published it's own revised guidelines concerning diving and lung disease. These are much more sensible and less strict than before. These recommendations were decided at a symposium chaired by Professor D J Godden and were published in Thorax last November.

They are not yet available on-line.

In my opinion no doctor should give definitive advice on a subject about which they know little but ought, instead to ask a medical referee or at least point the patient to the online guidance issued by the BSAC and by DAN.

Like so many, this doctor appears to be practising defensive medicine by suggesting a 10 metre limit as a guesstimate. However the main problem with asthma is air trapping on ascent with the risks of baraotrauma and, as you know, these risks are greatest just below the surface where the pressure changes are greatest.

IMPO when considering any applicant's fitness to dive it is like pregnancy, either they are fit to dive or they are not. For example an individual with exercise-induced asthma would not be capable of carrying out an effective rescue tow on the surface - something very close to my own heart!

Remember doctors can only advise. It is up to the patient whether he accepts that advice!

Hope this helps.

 

[Conor]

Thanks for the responses, I have passed on the links to my friend which I guess puts him in a position to move it ahead if he chooses to, I'll try hard not to nag.

Dr Paul Thomas - I'm very glad to see you back on the board, especially as we are nearly neighbours