DCS in my OW checkout dives.

[DepartureDiver]

i got nothing when i searched for pfo, what does the acronym stand for???
thanks.

If you're researching elsewhere, you can also look up atrial septal defects (ASD), but PFO is what is commonly used. Approximately 25% of the population has it and in general it is where a hole in the heart (initially always present) did not close itself all the way after birth.

 

[Delta_P]

L The wetsuit was very tight and I was having trouble breathing. As soon as I got to the boat I was feeling nauises and was hypervantilating. I was taken to the local chamber and was treated for DCS type II.

What steps can I take to make sure I can dive again before trying it again?


Jimmy

Presumably your local chamber has a knowledgeable hyperbaric physician on staff? That is the place to start.

PFOs will undoubtedly come up in the discussion. Another question to ask would be about the possibility of a carotid sinus reflex, induced by a too-tight wetsuit and/or hood.

A carotid sinus reflex could explain a lot of your symptoms, but DCS can hide behind a lot of things other than joint pain. Get thee to a doctor, preferably one who knows his laryngoscope from his proctoscope.

 

[DepartureDiver]

... Another question to ask would be about the possibility of a carotid sinus reflex, induced by a too-tight wetsuit and/or hood.

A carotid sinus reflex could explain a lot of your symptoms ...

Okay, I'll bite and possibly show some ignorance. How does a carotid sinus reflex lead to symptoms over days and the extreme fatigue? I also believe his symptoms only started upon surfacing.

 

[saf_25]

... I also believe his symptoms only started upon surfacing.

And, the fact that they went away with chamber treatment really makes me think that the DCS diagnosis was correct. Not that I'm a doctor, but I know that I've heard that positive repsonse to chamber treatment is often used to confirm the diagnosis of DCS. Plus, the weakness and tingling reported are classic symptoms. Yes, joint pain can be as well, but it doesn't have to present to be DCS. Also, dehydration and being tired are both risk factors that were present, so it it's likely you were properly diagnosed (of course, the "I'm not a dr." disclaimer applies).

Granted, your profiles sound mild, but were they accompanied by any fast ascents? Often, new divers have difficulty controlling bouyancy and their depth, so an area of a fast ascent is possible. Any spikes of fast ascents could have contributed, even if the max depth and time were mild. I actually know of someone (I won't name names, but she's active on this board) who got bent during her rescue class. Profile was something like 15 feet for 5 minutes, but her buddy messed up the "surface unconcious diver" drill and instead of venting air out of her bc on ascent, he inflated it. She went from 15' to the surface in 5 seconds, and by the time they reached the shore, had lost feeling in her hand. It happens, even on mild profiles.

I'm glad to hear that you had no permanent injuries, and wish you the best of luck in getting back in the water. As has already been mentioned, call DAN and get a referral to a doc who knows about diving to clear you before you try it again.

 

[Delta_P]

How does a carotid sinus reflex lead to symptoms over days and the extreme fatigue? I also believe his symptoms only started upon surfacing.

Part of the carotid sinus reflex is a drop in blood pressure. I have NO CLUE how long this drop might continue in a particular individual once the pressure on the carotid sinus is relieved. In my vast experience (one case) the symptoms appeared on surfacing once the neoprene returned to its full volume, and were gone within 15 minutes of removing the hood.

This is all rampant speculation. The OP needs to see a hyperbaric physician for a proper evaluation.

 

[MonkSeal]

Profile was something like 15 feet for 5 minutes, but her buddy messed up the "surface unconcious diver" drill and instead of venting air out of her bc on ascent, he inflated it. She went from 15' to the surface in 5 seconds, and by the time they reached the shore, had lost feeling in her hand.

It's not that I don't believe you but I would like Dr Deco to make a comment on this.

In my opinion in such situation holding a breath is more posible causing different type of injuries not DCS.

 

[opiniongirl]

I would believe the Dr. who treated you and take the safe side - assume it was DCS.

When to dive: ask the physician who treated you. Take his advice, not a day less.

other tips: get a different instructor. The instructor should have recommended you seek treatment asap. They should have also acted sooner, followed up with how you were feeling, and recognized an ill fitting suit.

things you need to be careful about: you can get DCS from a normal dive, but you especially will need to be conservative in your diving. hydration should be a priority, and eat properly. listen to your body.

You can also speak with a diving physician at Divers Alert Network who are highly experienced in diving medicine.

www.diversalertnetwork.org

 

[DepartureDiver]

In all fairness, while it is possible that DCS can occur on mild dives, it would not be expected. While the Instructor should have been cautious and said to get checked out, this is also a cya procedure. If a student of mine came to me after doing this profile and knowing that safety stops were also performed and stated he was very tired, I too would expect him to just be tired. I obviously don't know this Instructor, but giving him credit, he made sure the profiles were conservative and had safety stops. I would hate to fault him on this unusual incident.

 

[Code Monkey]

I'd contact the Diver's Alert Network. They can help you diagnose the problem and suggest a doctor in your area that has some experience with diving-related problems. You can probably get a phone number from their website:

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/

 

[opiniongirl]

In all fairness, while it is possible that DCS can occur on mild dives, it would not be expected. While the Instructor should have been cautious and said to get checked out, this is also a cya procedure. If a student of mine came to me after doing this profile and knowing that safety stops were also performed and stated he was very tired, I too would expect him to just be tired. I obviously don't know this Instructor, but giving him credit, he made sure the profiles were conservative and had safety stops. I would hate to fault him on this unusual incident.

It's not the instructors fault, I just don't think he's on his toes via several things mentioned by the poster. The poster called Instructor and explained his symptoms. The instructor told him "not to worry". I would be worrying if my student told me that he was extremely tired (so much so he actually phoned..) and his head was in a fog, etc, etc. He should have referred him to a Dr right away.

IMO, instructors should forget attempting to diagnose - and complaints like the posters should be immediately referred to a dr. Two reasons: to prevent delayed treatment, and at a bare minimum, to show you took action if sued. In the above post, I think the instructor possibly delayed treatment by not immediately referring him and/or not following up with him.

I take the stance that, "if it's rare, or unlikely to happen, it will happen to me."
Maybe I'm neurotic, but I send students to the Dr. for things as simple as hurt ears, or swallowing a lot of water, and coughing. I've been glad I did on several occasions - never been sued, but it's turned out to be the right thing to do.