Operational chamber now on Maui!

[KrisB]

We now have a multi-place chamber, equipped, staffed and available for use on Maui!

I spoke with the technicians / local managers today, as I was in Wailuku for the First Friday's event. Their primary focus is hyperbaric treatments for various conditions, however the staff are divers / dive instructors and are able to perform emergency recompression therapy for DCS.

The chamber is part of the American Hyperbaric Center group -- apparently, they own chambers in Alaska, California and on Oahu at the very least.

24 hour emergency (and regular M-F 9-5) number: 808-249-0393 (of course, call DAN first, but mention this chamber's availability if they try to send you to Oahu)
Location: 2065 Main St. - Suite 112, Wailuku, HI.

Now, I hope to never need their services, but I'm really happy that we have this resource here to at least provide some piece of mind!

 

[rgbmatt]

How experienced are the operators in the diagnosis/treatment of DCS cases? Some of the for-profit "alternative" chambers on Oahu are pretty sketchy.

Will DAN really send you to this place? It'd be good to check up on this, just in case.

 

[kidspot]

Finally! - Thanks for the news Kris. I'll put that number in my phone book (where hopefully I will never need it)

I'm surprised it's not at Maui Memorial.

Aloha, Tim

 

[Charlie99]

I'm surprised it's not at Maui Memorial.

I'm pretty sure that non-diver treatments, such a the treating of non-healing wounds that are common in diabetics, are much more common uses of hyperbaric oxygen treatment chambers than is treatment for DCS.

A lot of treatment and diagnostic centers are located outside of hospitals to reduce costs ---- dialysis centers, MRI and CAT scanners, ultrasound imaging, endoscopy, etc. For most HBO treatments as well as these other diagnostics and treatments, an outpatient clinic setting is appropriate and much less costly than being located within the hospital.

From rgbmatt's comments it sounds like Oahu has some HBO chambers that aren't really setup to handle DCS cases.

 

[KrisB]

How experienced are the operators in the diagnosis/treatment of DCS cases? Some of the for-profit "alternative" chambers on Oahu are pretty sketchy.

Here's what I know:

1. the people I spoke to seemed to be the ones that run the local operation. They are EMTs and hyperbaric technicians. Not physicians. So diagnosis would have to happen at the hospital (like DAN recommends) before transfer to the chamber for treatment.

2. both seemed well versed in diving (one being a NAUI Instructor) and very keen on working with DAN as available.

3. the chamber can run a "Table 6A" (if I remember correctly), and can pressurize to 6 ata.

Will DAN really send you to this place? It'd be good to check up on this, just in case.

I would hope so -- because even if the care is slightly less than perfect, it's still going to happen at least an hour sooner than if a person has to be transferred to Oahu...

 

[MikeRDar]

Kris,
I haven't spent much time on Maui, but it looks like that is pretty close to Maui Memorial. I assume a patient delivered to Maui Memorial could be quickly transfered by ground to the chamber? I'm a Coast Guard helo pilot and this is definitely good to know. Thanks for the info.

Mike

 

[KrisB]

Kris,
I haven't spent much time on Maui, but it looks like that is pretty close to Maui Memorial. I assume a patient delivered to Maui Memorial could be quickly transfered by ground to the chamber? I'm a Coast Guard helo pilot and this is definitely good to know. Thanks for the info.

Mike

Hi Mike,

It is relatively close to Maui Memorial -- only about 1.5 miles. A ground transfer should take almost no time -- Google Maps estimates it at 5 minutes, but a Code 3 would probably be a little quicker.

 

[howard4113]

Kris,

I heard several years ago that there has been a chamber on the island for some time - just no qualified operators for DCS cases. That's why they send DCS cases to Oahu. I would not assume that just because the operators are divers, or because the chamber is rated to 6 ata that they are going to treat DCS there - although I hope that you are right. I'd surely rather take a ride across the island than a flight to Oahu.

Mark

 

[KrisB]

Kris,

I heard several years ago that there has been a chamber on the island for some time - just no qualified operators for DCS cases. That's why they send DCS cases to Oahu. I would not assume that just because the operators are divers, or because the chamber is rated to 6 ata that they are going to treat DCS there - although I hope that you are right. I'd surely rather take a ride across the island than a flight to Oahu.

Mark

I hear you Mark.

Having spoken with them, the operators sound like they're prepared to treat DCS in this chamber, though that's not their primary market (I'm sure you'd be hard pressed to find sufficient funds in that market to justify the expense).

The rumours I remember hearing about the operational but unstaffed (or at least not emergency-staffed) chamber include it being a single-place chamber that was not suitable for treatment of DCS.

I'll be contacting DAN to find out their take very soon.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

We have two chambers close to my home. Neither are Dan acceptable and neither accept divers. Both chambers have divers working there. I wouldn't assume anything.