Do you own an emergency oxygen unit?

[formernuke]

So you are saying it is a bot???

Do troll bots get their feelings hurt?
I am confused

No no feeling but if we are to harsh with it we get moderated.

 

[Doc Harry]

I do a lot of local shore diving, so I keep O2 in my car.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I own several boosters not including the PSA machine/Oxygen compressor in my garage. The Homefill is good for 2200psi and if I need more I can always boost it higher. If you are in cave country, then you can rely on 2800psi fills all day every day, but not in most areas. Personally I use a LP72 for emergency surface oxygen, but that's just me. AL40 is a deco bottle and is usually intended to be used.

If you have an O2 kit already the DIN adapter can be a decent option though at a similar price to the RescuEAN, probably similar weight, albeit smaller size I would still argue that the pod is the right answer because it doesn't rely on you moving regulators around. I.e. if you get an AL40 that has a deco regulator on it, then to use emergency O2 you have to remove the regulator that is on that bottle and replace it with the din adapter, then remove the pin index from the medical bottle and transfer. Alternatively you plug the pod into the inflator hose and move the O2 line if you go from medical to scuba. If you go from scuba to scuba then it's just an inflator hose.

@sandiegoaes I don't think you could piece that kit together today for $400, but I definitely think the DAN kit is meant to give people warm fuzzies and look good more than it is to actually treat a serious DCS incident. The question becomes what level of risk you are taking as divers, what are the odds of having to breathe surface O2 for extended time etc. I said above that I leave the O2 kit in my truck 24/7 because I personally believe the odds of having to use it in a non-diving application are infinitely higher than in a diving emergency. For big boy stuff, we have a full IWR kit that is going to be used long before we try to head to a chamber because the chamber reliability these days is atrocious and you have to bank on something idiotic like 6+ hours until treatment in most parts of the country, even if you get medivac'd. I'll personally be proactive with something like this. If there were more reliable chambers it would be different, but sadly they are few and far between.

Why a LP72?

 

[Gareth J]

O2 is a formality. It is better to have refined your CPR skills.

I would strongly suggest you get some training on identifying the symptoms of DCI and the immediate First Aid treatment.

In most cases of DCI the casualty is conscious and coherent. The prompt administration of Oxygen and rapid evacuation to medical facilities significantly reduces the risk of long term injury or damage, and significantly increases the likelyhood of a quick and full recovery. The importance of prompt administration of O2 cannot be emphasised enough.

In the UK the advice would always be to put a DCI casualty on O2 as fast as possible, and keep them on O2 (no rationing), switching them to Nitrox if the O2 runs out.
Whilst they are receiving first aid, contact the emergency services to have them evacuated to a chamber ASAP, that may be Helicopter, Lifeboat and / or ambulance. In very mild cases they may be walk in wounded.
Within an hour or two of surfacing they will be in a chamber receiving treatment (if required).

The UK like most of Europe has quite good rescue and medical provision, so IWR is never recommended.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

I would strongly suggest you get some training on identifying the symptoms of DCI and the immediate First Aid treatment.

I would also suggest you understand when and how to use O2 when performing CPR.

 

[Gareth J]

I would also suggest you understand when and how to use O2 when performing CPR.

I am afraid to say I have had to perform O2 assisted AV and CPR in the past. So I am fully aware when it can be of use.

 

[Ana]

To pick just one between CPR and O2, seems inadequate to me. Going out on a boat for a diving day puts the individual at risk of needing either one, why limit yourself to just one.

I know at the beginning it feels like it is too expensive but after a year or 2 most of the divers have all the gear they need. That is the time to look for the O2 system, yes DAN's prices are crazy these days but they come for sale used.
Just so you know the O2 bottles follow the same principle as the regular scuba bottles, when left unattended in the garage they multiply. The O2 regs rate is slower but they multiply too.

 

[Edward3c]

I would also suggest you understand when and how to use O2 when performing CPR.

That's build into our core training, every Dive Leader has to competently do it as part of the Dive Leader course.

 

[sandiegoaes]

I never learned to do CPR on myself.

It's a good thing Tom Mount passed away before he saw this post. Otherwise there would be a new IANTD course rolling out in the next training update...

RIP Tom! You are missed!

 

[kelemvor]

every ambulance I have ever seen in the US carries pure O2, and while @Duke Dive Medicine is obviously the ultimate authority I BELIEVE that the pure O2 is to drive out other inert gases by having a pure pressure gradient and that the specific gas mix doesn't particularly matter. I.e. if you're bend on nitrox and you start breathing heliox the helium will still drive out the nitrogen. Pure O2 is used because it is incredibly convenient to produce by both PSA and distillation vs any other gas mixture that requires blending

I remember in my first aid class they said something to the effect of there are many conditions that can be improved with oxygen and only a few uncommon ones where it can be a problem so the default is everyone gets O2 if available. Maybe I'm mis-remembering, my card DID expire last year.