No, No, No, so is it Yes?

[jtpwils]

I'm 47 years old, 5'-7", 160 lbs and in decent shape, at least as far as I can see I'm in better shape than most guys my age.

I can answer "No" to the PADI Medical questionaire (although I used to smoke <1/3 pack a day until a few years ago).
I'm "somewhat" active - I play wallyball (volleyball on a raquetball court) very vigourously for about 2 hours every week, working up a good sweat.

I figure I can handle the "exertion" aspect of diving without a problem but I was wondering if pressure or something else in diving has physiological effects that a diver my age should be concerned enough about that I should get a physical by a DAN doctor before I dive? I have no idea about family history because I was adopted.

Last year I tore my miniscus and the surgical center asked my doctor to sign off on my having the surgery/anesthesia becausethe EKG that was sent over was, in their words "borderline". When I asked what that meant they said, it's nothing really, no need to worry but your doctor needs to approve you for surgery.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[jtpwils]

I just spoke to my doctor - he said "Enjoy your diving!"

The reason it was sent to him from the surgery place as "borderline" is because computers don't know medicine. Apparently the surgery place feeds the EKG into a machine that reads it and comments. He said that it's absolutely fine and based on that and my physicals there is no reason not to dive ----- Whoopeeee

 

[Zippsy]

That's a good answer to your question and a better one than any of us could give. Enjoy your diving.

- an older, heavier, probably more out-of-shape diver who does 100 dives a year.

 

[jtpwils]

Zippsy wrote

a better one than any of us could give

I know - I wasn't going to not check with him and construe comments here as medical advice. Still I understand why people didn't rush in to say "GO DIVE RIGHT NOW!"

Sorry for the rather useless thread.

 

[diverdoug1]

There are many different EKG changes which can result in a "Borderline" reading being given by the computer in the EKG recorder (such as min ST elevation or depression, early ventricular repolarization, Dysrhythmias, axis abnormalities, the list goes on). I am both an Anesthesiologist and a Hyperbaric specialist. If I discover an EKG finding that warrants a medical clearance prior to surgery, there is a very real possibility that it may be something I would need to investigate prior to approving of the patient diviing!!!!!!!!!

 

[diverdoug1]

Sorry , did'nt finish the post.

Glad that Your private MD examined you, and everything was fine. The above posting is just to let people know not to disregard "borderline" EKG's

 

[jtpwils]

Diverdoug- thanks for the post. I may have misread your post but it seemed that you thought it was during the actual EKG test that the computer said "borderline".

The actual case is that the doctor who took the EKG sent it to the surgery center at their request. They fed it into some computer that read the graphics and spit out "borderline" - so they requested a review before allowing surgery. The rest is as I posted above - he said normal.

BTW I agree not to disregard a borderline EKG, which is why I wanted to get a review before starting diving, even though the PADI questionaire would not have identified me as a candidate requiring a physical before diving.

 

[diverdoug1]

Most EKG machines, have the interpretation computer integral to the EKG unit, so the automated interpretation is printed directly on the hard copy of the EKG. Did not mean to impune your course of action, the only purpose of my comment was to provide information to others that a borderline reading is not something that the surgery center can state that there is "no need to worrry" unless they are able to interpret the EKG themselves. Hope you enjoy your adventures in the underwater world!

 

[jtpwils]

Did not mean to impune your course of action

Now worries - I didn't take it that way at all, I was just trying to clarify the events