If you are lucky enough to be in a place where there is a chamber that is great. If you are in a place where the chamber is staffed 24 X 7 that is wonderful. If you are in a place where the chamber has a hyperbaric nurse or physician that will anwer the radio that is stupendous.
Otherwise the nearest ER can stabalize - hydrate - oxygenate - monitor neuros - provide pain relief etc etc until a medivac chopper can be generated to move the patient to a hyperbaric facility who is in turn generating the on-call crew to give up their Sunday afternoon golf game to man the chamber.
If you are a paramedic in communication with an operational chamber that is also great but the general public should go the the ER. BTW even F.G. Hall and Jo Ellen Smith are not manned 24 X 7.
I was asked to assist with a lady who passed away on an aircraft once. The crew was sensitive to both the patient's and the family's needs. I have nothing but the highest praise for their actions. Those folks are highly trained and are absoutely cool headed and fantastic in an emergency.
Otherwise the nearest ER can stabalize - hydrate - oxygenate - monitor neuros - provide pain relief etc etc until a medivac chopper can be generated to move the patient to a hyperbaric facility who is in turn generating the on-call crew to give up their Sunday afternoon golf game to man the chamber.
If you are a paramedic in communication with an operational chamber that is also great but the general public should go the the ER. BTW even F.G. Hall and Jo Ellen Smith are not manned 24 X 7.
Wildcard:BTW standard protocal everywhere I worked as a medic for the last twenty years is straight to the nearest chamber if someone tells you they have DCS.
I was asked to assist with a lady who passed away on an aircraft once. The crew was sensitive to both the patient's and the family's needs. I have nothing but the highest praise for their actions. Those folks are highly trained and are absoutely cool headed and fantastic in an emergency.