Did I have DCS

[fbj]

Hi after a dive to 200ft for 13mins the computer was showing me a long Deco stop. Due to wrong pressure gauge reading I had to ommit 4mins at 20ft stop & 8mins at 10ft stop.

I surfaced then started waking to the shore feeling fatigued and not wanting to walk. The O2 unit was not there. I did not know what to do. I decided to change tank and managed to be back in the water within 8 mins of surfacing. After 35mins stop at 15ft I had a very slow ascent.
I know as per PADI recomendation I should have not reentered the water. Would the second dive make things worse?


fjb

 

[jhelmuth]

fbj,

I don't know (not medical advice), but I'd have to guess "Yes". Once you had the bubble formation, I think the 35' dive would not of have been much, if any, help. I don't propose to know these things, but I think an "Iron pony ride" would have tried to take you back down to 200' and brought you back to the surface slowly in an attempt to "fix" the problem.
Again, I'm not trained in this subject - so take it for what it's worth (not much). But I would advise you to see a doctor who specializes in DCS/dive related problems righ away.
I hope that one of the medical regulators here will pipe in with better information.

By-the-way... I know you're probably going to hear this more than you'd like to - but why were you down so deep and so long (apparently without enough backup deco gas). I noted that your profile says your a PADI instructor. What gives?

 

[pipedope]

Check out;
http://www.bishopmuseum.org/research/treks/palautz97/iwr.html

In the past I was strongly against in water recompression but the fact is that it works. Some people think that the in water part is at least as important as the recompression part.

I think that a proper chamber with good treatment staff is the better choice if you can get there quickly. If you can't get there quickly then IWR may be the better choice.

 

[BigJetDriver]

fbj once bubbled...
Hi after a dive to 200ft for 13mins the computer was showing me a long Deco stop. Due to wrong pressure gauge reading I had to ommit 4mins at 20ft stop & 8mins at 10ft stop.

I surfaced then started waking to the shore feeling fatigued and not wanting to walk. The O2 unit was not there. I did not know what to do. I decided to change tank and managed to be back in the water within 8 mins of surfacing. After 35mins stop at 15ft I had a very slow ascent.
I know as per PADI recomendation I should have not reentered the water. Would the second dive make things worse?


fjb

The problem with this report, is that there is not enough information to make any kind of judgement. Where did this occur? Where was the nearest hyperbaric facility? Were there any other symptoms? Was there anyone there to help you, etc?

IWR has its uses, and can be very effective, but its application depends upon a strict set of criteria, and the procedures involve more than just jumping in with another tank of air.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

BigJetDriver69 once bubbled...
and the procedures involve more than just jumping in with another tank of air.

Not really. It's pretty much that simple. It's not as easy as running a recompression chamber but it works. You must follow a table though or computer.

 

[mwilding]

That's a fascinating article pipedope

 

[jhelmuth]

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...


Not really. It's pretty much that simple. It's not as easy as running a recompression chamber but it works. You must follow a table though or computer.

I respectfully disagree. I read the article and I think the emphasis is on usage of 100% O2 (where possible) at ~ 30 ft. with a really sloowww ascent and stops every few feet. They did cite some cases (one in Hawaii) which used air - but there were mixed results and I believe that caution was the operative word. IWR is a very cautious option when the recompression chamber is not.

If I'm wrong on this count - please accept my appologies in advance.

 

[Charlie99]

FJB said that he was back in the water within 8 minutes.

IIRC, USN has procedures for "omitted decompression" that calls for returning to the water, provided that less than xxx minutes have elapsed, and the diver is symptom free.

Were I to be in the same circustances that FJB described, I wouldn't hesitate to return to the water, hopefully with a buddy to watch me closely. The only thing I would have done differently is to head a tiny bit deeper ---- probably 40', with slow ascent back up over 30 or 40 minute period.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

jhelmuth once bubbled...


I respectfully disagree. I read the article and I think the emphasis is on usage of 100% O2 (where possible) at ~ 30 ft. with a really sloowww ascent and stops every few feet. They did cite some cases (one in Hawaii) which used air - but there were mixed results and I believe that caution was the operative word. IWR is a very cautious option when the recompression chamber is not.

If I'm wrong on this count - please accept my appologies in advance.

IWR is a LAST resort no questions about it. The 100% O2 is a fact also with it. But it's still a fairly easy process if you think abou it.

 

[Diver0001]

fbj once bubbled...
Hi after a dive to 200ft for 13mins the computer was showing me a long Deco stop. Due to wrong pressure gauge reading I had to ommit 4mins at 20ft stop & 8mins at 10ft stop.

I surfaced then started waking to the shore feeling fatigued and not wanting to walk. The O2 unit was not there. I did not know what to do. I decided to change tank and managed to be back in the water within 8 mins of surfacing. After 35mins stop at 15ft I had a very slow ascent.
I know as per PADI recomendation I should have not reentered the water. Would the second dive make things worse?


fjb

For what it's worth if this happened to me I would have phoned the hyperbaric facility in my area, consulted the attending physician and did what told me to do.

I think getting back in the water in a case like this is a little like self medicating with a drug you're not experienced with ...... You're not sure what dosage you need and you're not sure what it will do ...... I'd say you got lucky but you would have probably been better off to phone 911.

A couple of questions:

Did you skip your deco because you ran out of air?

And where was your buddy?

R..