Medical questionaire

[beautybelow]

ditto

 

[TxHockeyGuy]

I'm claustrophobic but I sure don't put a yes in that box. I only get claustrophobic when I get extremely closed in, something that won't be happening in OW. So I guess I too lie on my forms, but I'm certainly not going to go to a doctor so I can be referred to a specialist who can then consult with a dive doctor just to make PADI or NAUI happy. I have better things to do with my time and money.

 

[Cacia]

About 1/3rd of the adult population has elevated BPs.

I admit I am very interested in medical ethics. I wonder what, if any conclusions can be drawn from these numbers? For example, I guess we would need to know which segment of the general population have passed the initial physical for diving and have at some point developed hypertension to make any assumptions about the truthfullness or reliabiliy of that portion of the medical questionaires.

I am suggesting that as the population ages and the management of various conditions (like asthma, and hypertension) gets more sophisticated, that the content of the forms might need to be given more thought.

Rachel, you are jumping to some conclusions here, and your inference that maybe I cannot pass the physical is just one. I don't have any medical problems, nor do I take any medication, but I sympathize with divers who manage their conditions responsibly and face a bit of a dilemma, especially when traveling.

No, I no longer work in medicine, I am just very interested in health advocacy issues and really believe the discussion opens up some viable options. As health care becomes more proactive, the grey areas will only increase.

 

[ERIC.K]

Until we have a universal medical release form approved at dive locations world wide we will continue to have untruthful questionaires. Who has never called an exotic dive location or the Florida keys for that matter, asked a question, received an answer only to find out when you arrive at your dive location that "edwin no work here nomore" So to call ahead and ask what type of Medical release form a diver might need is useless. PADI, SSI, YMCA, and NAUI all need a universal release form that dive locations around the world will accept. IF your certification is PADI then carry around the PADI release form. How about a step further, how about DAN comming out with a release form? I started the original threat after a recent dive trip where I (not being nosey or anything) simply watched a dive master go through pages and pages of divers medical questionaire forms that had all answers on the form marked "NO" on the various medical conditions. We watched several smoking divers with coughs I could here prior to even seeing the divers, I watched 350 punders try to squeeze into large sized wetsuits, that diver eventually finished his dive using the divemasters octo in order not to upset the others in our group, just couldn't believe that they were "Completly" healthy divers!

 

[fisherdvm]

There is a niche here to make big bucks - accomodating divers with medical conditions. One could device underwater portable defibrillator, inhalers, and underwater intravenous lines for the diabetics. Howabout propeller assisted wheelchairs?

The divers would just say, "I promise not to sue, irregardless of what stupidity I plan to commit".

Then you'd make bundles of money catering to man's desire to maximize fun out of his short life.

 

[wreckchick]

I'm not participating in this debate past this point but I do have a couple things to say from an operator's stand point. First of all, if a diver has a known medical condition and carries copies of the PADI/RSTC medical that is current (within the past year) I can't think of a single shop that would refuse to let that person dive.

When anyone dives there is a possibility of a medical mishap underwater. People with a known history of an illness that is listed on the standard forms are at a higher risk. Some of the conditions can be very dangerous for the diver if he/she has an episode underwater.

As an in-water divemaster, I am going to put myself at a greater risk of personal injury in order to perform a rescue on a diver that becomes ill. Given that, I should be able to decide what level of personal risk is acceptable to me. The only way I know if you, the diver, are putting ME at higher risk from UNSEEN conditions is through the medical. I can see the smoker, I can see the grossly obese diver, I can see the diver who has no stamina. I CAN'T see the diabetic or the asthmatic.

Even if you sign a piece of paper saying "I'm really, really sick and if I pass out underwater you are not to do anything and let me fall into the abyss," I think most people would have a hard time actually doing it.

I've made my point.

Rachel

 

[fisherdvm]

The only way I know if you, the diver, are putting ME at higher risk from UNSEEN conditions is through the medical. I can see the smoker, I can see the grossly obese diver, I can see the diver who has no stamina. I CAN'T see the diabetic or the asthmatic. Rachel

I totally agree with your point. It's damn if you do know, damn if you do't know kind of thing. The more guidelines and standards we set for scuba diving, the harder it is for dive boat operators to defend from lawsuits.

I truly believe that all LDS need to develop a good release of liability as a first line of protection against lawsuit, then you can do with what you want with the medical questionaire.

Unfortunately, when you state that you will not allow diabetics to dive, they will hide it from the questionaire, and put themselves at risk. In the same way, asthmatics will hide their condition too, if you state you will not let them dive.

I think it would be safer for the dive boats to allow anyone with any medical conditions to dive, as long as they let you know ahead of time, so you can better prepare to deal with the emergencies that might arise.

Is there an inhouse malpractice attorney to help with this discussion??

 

[wreckchick]

THIS IS NOT ABOUT LAWSUITS!!!!!!!!!!

This is about my tolerance for personal assumption of my risk to myself. If YOU put ME at increased risk, I want to know about it.

You want to make it about lawsuits? O.K. Try this, the guy with the bad ticker lies on his medical and I'm diving him off the wall here in Provo. The guy has a cardiac event underwater and I perform a heroic rescue by chasing him down to 150' and wrestling him up to the surface where the boat crew performs CPR, saves the guys life, blah blah blah. Now, I end up in the chamber. No problem, I have insurance. I saved a life, I feel pretty good about that. I can't dive for six months so but I'll make ends meet somehow. Now I find out that the guy was told specifically NOT to dive because of a heart condition. You want to know who's getting sued? That guy, by me.

R

 

[fisherdvm]

Unfortunately, you can't sue .... There is no law stating that you have to exceed safe diving criteria to save someone's life. You took the risk, and you might have to pay for it.

Secondly, if you took him up too fast, he could sue you for not doing CPR underwater, and ascended at a safe rate... Ha, ha.. ha... ha....

You're damned if you do, you're damned if you don't....

Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens everyday in the ER's, doctor's office, ambulances, etc...

Get rid of the lawyers, and everyone will be happy diving naked....

 

[fisherdvm]

And besides, statistics say, unless defibrillation is available within minutes, chances of someone surviving a cardiac arrest (even after you "saved his life") with CPR is pretty slim. The guy might just be a stroked out zombie costing us taxpayers millions...

If you want your boyscout life saver badge, diving with these folks will earn you one faster...