dcs?????

[gkndivebum]

A warning here to all---your local GP or your Emergency Room Doc's generally
know squat all about diving maladies and DCS. This is unfortunate, but too true. [...]

All the Emergency or Critical Care Providers I know will very quickly ask for specialist
help for anything they don't know about [...]

You'd think that it would be different, but out here on our little rock in the middle of the
Pacific and surrounded by divers the local ER staff knows diddly about DCS.

Case in point: a friend of mine (an instructor) wound up with a chamber ride, but only
after a protracted argument with the local ER staff. Initial complaint was about joint
pain (shoulder), after several days of repetative diving (instructing). The ER doctor
initially said that "you can't be bent on these profiles" and suggested stress reduction
as a possible cure, suggesting (and I kid you not) that perhaps viagra could help my
friend's sex life as a way to treat stress.

A phone call to DAN produced the desired result.

sheesh.

 

[ArcticDiver]

Sheesh, guess we're blessed here. Several providers just as stubborn. But fortunately none in the ER.

Guess the call to DAN from the ER did the trick. Glad your friend is well.

On the other hand I had a situation over on Oahu a couple years ago. The ER staff didn't know anything about diving. But they bent over backward making calls and doing lab work to figure out what the problem was. As it turned out, like is so often the case, it wasn't DCS. I'd picked up a virus and was dehydrated due to internal fluid loss. A few liters of fluid later via the arm and some meds and I was fit as a fiddle.

So, guess I'll stick by my humble opinion as I much more wordily stated: Go to the ER, then call DAN if needed.