PADI Medical Form

[diverrex]

I had hernia surgery over 10 years ago. No way am I ever going to write yes to that question.

 

[Edward3c]

An interesting thread.

When BSAC changed from a mandatory GP medical to a Self Certification Form there were cries that the world would end.

The reality was many GPs know nothing about diving but were signing people fit to dive who shouldn't have been in the water.

Now a Self Cert is required before training starts and a new one every year. If the answer to any question on the form is ‘yes’ a UK Sport Diving Medical Committee diving medical referee must sign a Fitness-to-Dive certificate.

Here in the UK we have to follow the Data Protection Act 1998. Therefore, our forms are designed that no ‘sensitive’ i.e. medical information is disclosed to the Diving Officer, just whether an individual is fit or not to dive, and any restrictions on diving advised by the medical referee.

I won't second guess someone who had signed ‘no’ to all questions as I'm not medically trained. However, I will, and have, sat down with individuals and reminded them of specific questions on the form, the bottom line – its their responsibility to disclose not mine to investigate. If it hits the fan, as Diving Officer of my club, I have my defence – their original signed form.

Interestingly, a UK HSE Diving Medical doesn't meet the UK recreational requirements, a Self Cert is still required.

We also have a Try Dive medical questionnaire. I know of one incident where the participant answered ‘no’ to the questions, but died during the session - they hadn't declared having had open heart surgery 3 months earlier. They turned up on the night already wearing swimming costume and T-shirt to cover the scars.

Kind regards

 

[lv2dive]

I have to get a dive medical every year. I'm asthmatic, so have to tick 'Yes' to the box, even though it's allergen triggered. So every 12 months I have to go through an expensive round of tests to prove that I'm OK to dive. Annoying, but if I ever ticked "no" and something happened, my insurance could be cancelled. It also means I need to carry it in my dive-log as you get the occasional charter that makes you fill out a medical form - and then it might or might not be valid in the country I am in at the time. Bloody annoying.

I'm in the same boat due to different reasons. I haven't had the issue with charters, but I have scanned in my medical clearance (along with cert cards) and saved it in the gmail cloud, so I have access to it wherever I need it.

 

[DevonDiver]

A lot of people. Like the diabetic guy. Yes, it could kill them. Lots of things can kill a person. Some people want to make their own decision about whether to take that chance, and what measures/consultations to evaluate &/or mitigate risk they take.

That's nice - but unfortunately, there is no disclaimer to sign that says "Please don't risk yourself to save me, because of the decisions I've made".

A scuba emergency, especially a fatal one, effects more than the direct victim. There are rescuers. There are traumatized staff. There is damage through negative publicity to the scuba business concerned.

Whilst the individual has a right to choice - those diving with them have a right to choice also.... the choice of whether to involve themselves diving with someone who is a potential medical liability.

Lying on a medical form is unethical, because it deprives other people of their rights. The height of selfishness IMHO.

 

[dwhthediver]

An example: at Haigh Quarry in June of 2010, at DUI days, a man lied on the medical about surgery(he had open heart surgery 4 months earlier) because he wanted to figure which dry suit he wanted, and Demo days are a great way to dive different suits. On his first dive, he had a heart attack at 25'. He died, but as one of the people involved in the rescue efforts, I still have times where I relive what happened and ask myself what we could have done differently. The shop where I teach tell people "read each question carefully and answer honestly, and if you aren't sure, answer yes and get a doctor's opinion."

 

[SubMariner]

People lie for convenience and to avoid yielding control. Those who answer 'no' to everything, but read over the form, are alerted to conditions that could impact their diving. They then have the option, at their own free will, to consult a Physician who can assess them & provide recommendation, which they can then follow or not, as they will. The ultimate control is in the hands of the diver.

Once you check 'yes,' you lose control. It gets turned over to a doctor (you can get around this sometimes by doctor shopping for someone who'll give the opinion you want, if you can find one). You can end up having to get periodic re-eval.s as another poster noted.

Now, some people may protest 'Who'd dive if the doctor wouldn't clear it?'

A lot of people. Like the diabetic guy. Yes, it could kill them. Lots of things can kill a person. Some people want to make their own decision about whether to take that chance, and what measures/consultations to evaluate &/or mitigate risk they take.

Not putting this out there from a moral perspective, but a practical one. Dive shops don't mind the liars so much (long as they don't have a serious episode & make a problem, which can indeed happen), since for them, a key purpose of the form is for liability coverage (and of course to warn some people off diving).

I'm not telling people to lie on the form. I'm laying out why people do. Especially for very minor medical issues (e.g.: if you admit having high cholesterol controlled with Lipitor, are you stuck going through the rig-a-maro of seeing a Physician, etc...?).

Richard.

This is an old thread & things have changed with regard to what constitutes absolute contradictions to diving. There are much better guidelines that take into consideration a person's medical history and the likelihood of a condition having a negative impact on their ability to dive. But again, these things are spelled more completely out on the Physician's Guidelines which most of us won't see, let alone understand.

It's still important be be truthful when filling out the Medical Form. What YOU as a layperson think may not be a limiting or dangerous condition/medication may turn out to in fact be quite important when water pressure forces come into play. But only a physician would be able to make that determination. DAN would be a good resource to research conditions & medications while diving.

 

[Rhone Man]

Reminds me of when I worked as a DM during college and a woman who was obviously pregnant came diving and ticked "no" on the pregnancy box on the medical form.

So we took her diving.

 

[Dive IDC]

This article covers off some of the basic "things to know" when filling out the PADI Medical form. Hope it helps a bit.