Emergency Oxygen

[Gamehunter]

I am looking at putting an emergancy oxygen system on the boat. I have looked at the dan systems and am thinking about the Dan dual rescue pack, expensive though. I was wondering why you can't or wouldn't use a scuba system set up for 100% oxygen for your system. I asked LDS and the answer was the mask wouldn't hook up.:huh: I'm not trying to be cheap in this area but also trying to be practical.

 

[ClayJar]

You *could* use a deco setup configured for 100% O2, but only if the diver is conscious and can use the regulator. Kits like the DAN O2 ones have an O2 demand sytem, but they also have constant-flow as an option for the patient who cannot or will not use a demand regulator.

(Incidentally, and I don't mean this at all snidely, but if you haven't taken the DAN O2 course, I would *highly* recommend it, as it should teach you a lot. It will certainly be a good introduction to the various different oxygen delivery systems -- demand-valve mask, non-rebreather mask, oronasal rescusitation mask with supplementary O2, etc.)

 

[Grey_Wulff]

We recently went through the same exercise. While the DAN kit is great, it is also expensive. I would suggest considering putting the unit together from component parts, that is a tank, regulator, mask and case. Check Ebay. I got an on-demand regulator for less than $40. An on-demand mask costs $20 from DAN, a constant flow mask costs $7 from Sports Chalet. We were lucky to have a contact in the gas industry who picked us up the tanks dirt cheap (less than $30 each). Try contacting your local gas supply merchant. Tell them what you're trying to achieve and see if they will sell you a new tank or whether they have return tanks they will get rid of. If that fails, Ebay has loads of tanks for sale. My biggest problem now is getting a cheap, durable container for the oxygen gear. Having spent less than $100 for the medical setup I don't want to spend $200 on a case . My buddy is using a soft baseball bat case but I'm looking for something more robust. I considered basing the case on plastic pipe, a wooden box, etc. but still do not have this problem solved.

Don't give up though. We have had our two kits in various stages of setup for about four months and already one of the kits has been put to good use treating a case of DCS.

Good luck,

Grey_Wulff

 

[JimJam]

Keep in mind too that you can buy a kit from a respitory therapy type distributor for considerably less. I agree that a DAN O2 course is a necessity, but you'll find that the most common delivery system is the non rebreather mask (bag type). You can find this very inexpensively if you look somewhere other than DAN. Find a local medical supply store.

 

[akscubainst]

I've looked this over a couple times and short of purchasing parts off Ebay, DAN's price isn't all that far out of line.

For instance on Galls.com

The cheapest comparable reg to the Dan Reg is the Ambu At $149. The reason for this is the DAN kit need the really low flow rates for the REMO unit also, 2 DISS ports which is standard on the DAN Kit.

Add the Demand reg/mask this is the really expensive part $329 but this is what stretches out the time your bottle lasts so it pretty important.

Add a pocket mast $8 Jumbo D $89 NRB $2 and then the Pelican 1600 case $200 and and you total out at $777 which I believe is more than the DAN Kit.

You can put together a good O2 kit for a lot less than that, but flowing 15LPM on a NRB mask is going to eat the O2 up pretty quick. That's why DAN puts the Demand reg in the kit.

Dave

 

[CAPT HOOK]

Check with you local medical gas supplier before you spend too much money; when we lived in Michigan you needed a perscription to fill an O2 bottle! (Our LDS got one of ours filled for us!)

 

[ClayJar]

When I took the DAN O2 class here in Louisiana, I was told that in our state you need a prescription to get the O2 bottles filled, but that you can easily get a prescription from a doc to fill your emergency O2 bottles once you've taken the DAN O2 class. Our instructor just has an open-ended prescription he flashes if anyone asks, but he says that's very rare.

 

[Sasquatch]

When I took the DAN O2 class here in Louisiana, I was told that in our state you need a prescription to get the O2 bottles filled, but that you can easily get a prescription from a doc to fill your emergency O2 bottles once you've taken the DAN O2 class. Our instructor just has an open-ended prescription he flashes if anyone asks, but he says that's very rare.

While reading this thread this was the question that popped into my brain. How do you figure it's easy to get a prescription from a doctor? I guess if you are personally acquainted with one or visit the doctor's office on a regular basis. Otherwise I'm thinking it's an office call.

I'm taking the DAN O2 courses tomorrow so maybe I'll get some insight into a source of the "good stuff".

Sea ya!

 

[ClayJar]

Well, since someone who has a prescription for filling emergency O2 bottles used for treating dive-related injuries and who was also my DAN O2 instructor and who also does tech diving, including accelerated non-emergency deco on pure O2 (with oxygen-clean scuba gear), told me that here in Louisiana, you can easily get a prescription from a doc, I related that information.

If you really want to know locally relevant information, ask your DAN O2 instructor or any tech diver. (And I've read on several Florida LDS shops' sites that they fill emergency O2 cylinders free as a service to the diving public, so I don't imagine it would be too difficult for me there, either.)

(Oh, and since half the divers at my LDS seem to be dentists and docs, for me, I imagine it could be trivially easy.)