Reported DCS on plane

[Dominik_E]

I second the folks here that say that anxiety from thinking about DCS has to be considered as an alternative explanation.

 

[Esprise Me]

Med students diagnosing themselves with every disease they learn about is so common there's a name for it (a couple names, actually): Medical students' disease - Wikipedia

 

[tursiops]

Med students diagnosing themselves with every disease they learn about is so common there's a name for it (a couple names, actually): Medical students' disease - Wikipedia

Fascinating! And not surprising....

 

[letterboy]

And none of us have ever heard of a patient lying or not telling the truth because they've become embarrassed 9nce an episode has gone to far...

 

[Lorenzoid]

I agree with all here that something does sound odd, but the article is certainly written in a way that implies the doctor under whose care the diver received the hyperbaric treatment believed it was DCS.

"'He had been working out a lot which made him very dehydrated,' said Edward Tomoye, D.O., an internal medicine physician on the medical staff at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. . . .
. . .
Dr. Tomoye, who also specializes in hyperbaric medicine, says people who do high intensity workouts before a dive might increase their risk for a diving accident or decompression sickness (DCS). . .
. . .

After the plane landed safely in Dallas, Altoos had hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas."

It's my understanding that the touchstone for a diagnosis of DCS is whether the chamber ride resolved the symptoms. Granted, nowhere in the article does the doctor clearly state that the diagnosis was DCS, but the article certainly implies that was his diagnosis, presumably because the diver's symptoms apparently resolved with the chamber treatment. Then again, the doctor may have been helping the guy save face--and then there's a patient confidentiality factor--while using the news coverage of the incident as an opportunity to give a public service announcement on diving and DCS. Being a newly minted doctor, the diver might have a good idea of what to say in the chamber to suggest the treatment was alleviating his symptoms.

 

[scubadada]

I'm skeptical

 

[RIHappyDiver]

It's my understanding that the touchstone for a diagnosis of DCS is whether the chamber ride resolved the symptoms. Granted, nowhere in the article does the doctor clearly state that the diagnosis was DCS, but the article certainly implies that was his diagnosis, presumably because the diver's symptoms apparently resolved with the chamber treatment. Then again, the doctor may have been helping the guy save face--and then there's a patient confidentiality factor--while using the news coverage of the incident as an opportunity to give a public service announcement on diving and DCS. Being a newly minted doctor, the diver might have a good idea of what to say in the chamber to suggest the treatment was alleviating his symptoms.

Is it possible that the guy really did think he had DCS so the chamber ride provided a psychological fix to his problem (think reverse placebo effect, you’re so convinced that you have the disease that you believe the treatment cures you.)?

 

[caruso]

It's estimated that close to half of all emergency room visits are in reality due to anxiety and panic attacks.

And the patients have no clue. Many of them are convinced they're dying of a heart attack.

 

[Rollin Bonz]

I agree with all here that something does sound odd, but the article is certainly written in a way that implies the doctor under whose care the diver received the hyperbaric treatment believed it was DCS.

"'He had been working out a lot which made him very dehydrated,' said Edward Tomoye, D.O., an internal medicine physician on the medical staff at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. . . .
. . .
Dr. Tomoye, who also specializes in hyperbaric medicine, says people who do high intensity workouts before a dive might increase their risk for a diving accident or decompression sickness (DCS). . .
. . .

After the plane landed safely in Dallas, Altoos had hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas."

It's my understanding that the touchstone for a diagnosis of DCS is whether the chamber ride resolved the symptoms. Granted, nowhere in the article does the doctor clearly state that the diagnosis was DCS, but the article certainly implies that was his diagnosis, presumably because the diver's symptoms apparently resolved with the chamber treatment. Then again, the doctor may have been helping the guy save face--and then there's a patient confidentiality factor--while using the news coverage of the incident as an opportunity to give a public service announcement on diving and DCS. Being a newly minted doctor, the diver might have a good idea of what to say in the chamber to suggest the treatment was alleviating his symptoms.

Symptoms resolved after treatment... Yes
Symptoms resolved because of treatment... Meh... Probably not

 

[Johnoly]

Lots of speculation here...........so let me add mine.......
The new wife caught him way too close to another woman.....
and the crying bride's FATHER is waiting in the parking lot of the final airport !!
...Just my speculation given the symptoms !!