DCS - saw it 1st time in my life

[PRL]

Maby I'm looking at this from a bad angle. But to me, from Manias story the response or the lack of is more important and foiled than what caused the accident. Lets face it, even if we dive way within our abilities and limits we still have a chance to get bent, and I would like to think that the crew and the DM would be able to recognize a problem and help me.
It took a diver from another group that happens to be Rescue certified to start the ball rolling.

 

[Hank49]

Well done Mania. It seems this thread has gone off the topic a bit so I'll relate my story of DCS. Back in 1999 a bunch of us were diving in a remote island in the Philippines. All instructors. People were diving deep air, lots of oxygen on the boat. One pair of divers did the same exact profile for two dives. But one of them hadn't dived for a year, had been doing drugs, drinking, smoking and was out of shape. It took a few hours after the second dive but he began to lose feeling in his legs and it got worse. But late in the evening we were taking him back down to 10 meters breathing oxygen and ascending about 10 cm per minute. It helped for a while after surfacing but the symptoms came back. It was like a serious car accident. He was paralyzed from the waste down. Could not urinate and could not control his sphinkter. He got to a chamber after about 24 hours and three months later I heard he was just learning to walk again. It was a real eye opener for me. Scary stuff. Hank

 

[NorthernMelody]

I was under the understanding that you never take a diver back to depth, that O2 and emergency medical assistance and evacuation is the most effective treatment. Have I missed something? Or did you take him to depth while waiting for assisitance?

 

[mania]

I was under the understanding that you never take a diver back to depth, that O2 and emergency medical assistance and evacuation is the most effective treatment. Have I missed something? Or did you take him to depth while waiting for assisitance?

I was taught exactly the same. I've been told that this is the popular way but it's a wrong one and you shouldn't take diver back into the depth. So even in my case somebody - when it was al obvious - proposed to take the guy back and I opposed. It's the chamber job.
Mania

 

[Hank49]

I was taught exactly the same. I've been told that this is the popular way but it's a wrong one and you shouldn't take diver back into the depth. So even in my case somebody - when it was al obvious - proposed to take the guy back and I opposed. It's the chamber job.
Mania

We were out in between some islands, it was nightfall, no moon, no way to safely navigate back through the reef patches, so we had to wait for morning light. Then it was an 8 hour ride back to Caticlan, where the helicopter waited to take him to Cebu for the chamber. We talked it over and the guy with DCS said he felt OK except he was paralyzed in his legs. He was down for about 2 hours on O2 and we all took turns staying with him and measuring the ascent and time. It helped but only temporarily.

Looking back...I don't know. Could he have gotten worse if we hadn't taken him down? And what causes the paralysis? A large bubble presses against his spinal column? Does the bubble pressure cut off blood flow and have the same effect on the nerve as sleeping on your arm wrong and waking up with it numb?

 

[TX101]

We were out in between some islands, it was nightfall, no moon, no way to safely navigate back through the reef patches, so we had to wait for morning light.

I've read up a fair bit about in water recompression. The idea is to force the bubbles back 'into solution'. I would have gone down on air with a spike to at least 60ft (preferable deeper, maybe 100-120) for 5 minutes, then slowly come back up, switching to o2 at 20ft.

Richard Pyle's article is really good reading:

http://www.bishopmuseum.org/research/treks/palautz97/cmd.html

 

[String]

In water recompression is frowned up by agencies these days but it DOES have a use in remote locations and personally im not 100% convinced it isnt a good recreational idea either. The main worry is the casualty losing conciousnesses and drowning in water but for a dive exhibiting no obvious symptoms im not convinced going with a safety diver back down to the stop depth for a long time isnt a good idea. You are effectively putting them in a mini-chamber under supervision until such time as help arrives.

I certainly know of divers that have missed stops and gone straight back down to complete them without issues.

(Bet this opens a hornets nest).

 

[RIDIVER501]

Great Job mania..It is sometimes hard for someone to step up to the plate and correct a situation going badly when that person has nothing to lose or gain by speaking out.
I applaud you.

 

[RIDIVER501]

Good Job,
But I did get offended by this comment
Maby it should be changed to alot of people. Poles are no more stupid than other nationalities

PRL...Stupidity knows no boundaries. It is doesn't defer to race, nationality, sex, religion or hair color (despite popular belief and lots of supporting evidence). Mania's comment about her fellow poles, is no more offensive to me then someone making gerneralizations about my Irish lineage, or lumping me in with rest of the stereotypes about Americans, males, whitemen, catholics or PADI divers.

What offends me is that out of a long post concerning an diving accident with many more things to be appalled, concerned or outraged about, you pick and obscure comment she made which she is more then welcome and qualified to make.

which reminds me: Q: "whats the difference between and Irish wedding and an Irish wake?"

A: "one less drunk."

Bottom Line PRL lighten up, you'll live longer.

 

[eponym]

As the title of the thread - it was the first time in my life I saw DCS

Mania, I'm very moved. Thanks for all the detail, and for re-creating the drama of the incident for us. I must say you sound very level-headed and quick-thinking in an emergency.

And thank you also for enumerating the "lessons learned." The oxygen bottle was a particularly sobering detail.

Best regards,
Bryan