Eagles Nest death....

[ucfdiver]

2rd hand information says the surgery was last year, no more recent than 5 months, likely closer to a year. 3rd hand information is that he was cleared... both could be gathered from posts on his condolensces thread at CDS.

I heard not too much longer than 3 months, but 3rd hand.

 

[diverdoug1]

Any idea what roll open heart surgery could play in the recent EN death?

There are two ways to look at this question
1. Is there anything that directly increases the risk of DCS in a recent open heart surgery patient. The answer to that is “it depends”. If the patient has poor pulmonary perfusion secondary to ischemic cardiomyopathy or valvular pathology, it could directly increase the diver’s risk of DCS.

2. Does the fact that the patient required open heart surgery stratify him into a group more likely to have a medical emergency underwater that causes incapacitation of the diver or impairs his diving ability? The answer to that also is “it depends” an example of where it would not is a successful repair of a congenital heart defect. An example of where it would put him in a higher risk group would be if he had CABG and had other problems with severe PAD , cardiac conduction pathology, pulmonary problems, poor graft patency, stent occlusion, anticoagulation status, (the list of potential comorbidities could fill volumes).

 

[TSandM]

Doug, your points are well taken, but I do think that, if the diver had been evaluated and cleared as Doug Ebersole describes (I can't rememer how many METs on the treadmill, but it's quite a bit) then they've largely excluded significant ventricular dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension or significant disrhythmia as an ongoing problem. I do agree that ANYONE who has required coronary artery bypass is in a higher risk group for further vascular pathology or symptoms, though, including stroke.

 

[rjack321]

I don't think one will ever get beyond speculation since whatever he told the EMTs or the dispatcher before losing conciousness is confidential.

 

[diverdoug1]

Doug, your points are well taken, but I do think that, if the diver had been evaluated and cleared as Doug Ebersole describes (I can't rememer how many METs on the treadmill, but it's quite a bit) then they've largely excluded significant ventricular dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension or significant disrhythmia as an ongoing problem. I do agree that ANYONE who has required coronary artery bypass is in a higher risk group for further vascular pathology or symptoms, though, including stroke.

I totally agree, I was trying to answer in a more general fashion since we are not 100% on the patient / diver's history.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I don't think one will ever get beyond speculation since whatever he told the EMTs or the dispatcher before losing conciousness is confidential.

If it wasn't medical, may get more information off the RB? Computers? Bailout? I dunno...

 

[rjack321]

If it wasn't medical, may get more information off the RB? Computers? Bailout? I dunno...

Maybe, did it get sent to NEDU? I dunno either. Medical or otherwise seems like nobody's tracking these events.

 

[PfcAJ]

Isn't this the 2nd optima fatality in the past year?

 

[ucfdiver]

Isn't this the 2nd optima fatality in the past year?

Yeah, but given the recent surgery, old age, unknown profile, etc, I'm guessing the unit isn't directly involved in this.

The other one I'm not as convinced it wasn't RB related, hypoxia specifically. Kinda wonder if you vent the loop on ascent and don't add o2 (yet still metabolize it), what happens?

 

[PfcAJ]

Medical, that cause du jor of todays diving deaths.

Color me skeptical...