Suffered DCS for the first time and terrified to dive again

[Crush]

The best thing for jbird71 to do is go to Toronto General Hospital. They have a hyberbaric department and someone is on-call 24 hours a day. The best doctors would be working during the day; considering it is a follow-up I'd pop in during the day.

Even if they aren't the correct hospital, the University Health Network links all the hospitals in the downtown core (there are over a dozen).

I have heard of divers being sent to hospitals with hyperbaric chambers, only those hyperbaric chambers were not certified to the pressures required to deal with DCI, nor was the staff trained in those treatments. The net result was a delay in treatment. Can you confirm that the Toronto General Hospital hyperbaric chamber can treat DCI, both in terms of facilities and in terms of staff training?

I might suggest that, if in doubt, can DAN - they will know where the nearest suitable chamber is.

 

[jbird71]

Jbird71,

What do you think drove your rapid ascent from the second dive?

Do you think you were under weighted? Out of practice on the ascents? Or maybe just not paying attention at that point in time?

I was slightly underweighted. I found the ascent trick because I was trying to catch up to the marker my DM had set up, as well as fight the current. As well my cold probably clouded my judgement.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Fortunately, the healthy human body is able to excrete and tolerate a very large quantity of water without adverse affect provided it is imbibed at anything approaching a sensible rate. Considering the dehydrating effect of diving due to several mechanisms (e.g., elevated ambient temperatures, immersion diuresis, breathing extremely dry air), bringing on hyponatremia during active scuba would seem quite a feat.

While over-hydration may be more common than has generally been thought, it appears to remain a very low probability event. In adults it is most frequently seen in association with high–endurance activities like marathons, strenuous hiking or cycling and long military marches where there is excessive water intake within an inadequately long time span.

@DocVikingo: Thank you for your well-written post. The topic of dehydration comes up quite often in DCS discussions.

Any idea how type 2 diabetes (+/- kidney damage) might affect the ability of the human body to "tolerate a very large quantity of water without adverse affect provided it is imbibed at anything approaching a sensible rate"? The reason I ask is that I really don't know if it should be recommended that the OP err on the side of over-drinking.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, always call DAN for referrals if possible. Even tho he is not charged in Canada, they still are great at assisting.

I spoke with the doctor who owns the chamber clinic in Lubbock once for 10 minutes and decided to never, ever go there without backup.

 

[jbird71]

One concern I have: for reasons I cannot get into, I did not get any follow-up medical checkup. Would this be prudent at this stage?

 

[Crush]

One concern I have: for reasons I cannot get into, I did not get any follow-up medical checkup. Would this be prudent at this stage?

Why not? But since your GP will likely not have been trained in dive medicine, why not call DAN for a referral (in the non-medical sense) to someone in the GTA that will not try to fake their way through your session with them?

 

[scubadiver888]

Crush,

The incident happened in Mexico. It is my understanding that jbird71 sought medical attention while there. For an incident which just happened I would recommend calling CritiCall at 1-800-668-4357. This number should be called for emergency only. DAN does not keep a list of chambers in Ontario. If you call DAN they will call CritiCall to set up a rescue to the nearest chamber.

If Toronto General Hospital (TGH) does not have the staff to handle follow up treatment or diagnosis for DCI, they will be able to refer jbird71 to the appropriate hospital. The appropriate hospital will be within walking distance of TGH.

 

[Crush]

If Toronto General Hospital (TGH) does not have the staff to handle follow up treatment or diagnosis for DCI, they will be able to refer jbird71 to the appropriate hospital. The appropriate hospital will be within walking distance of TGH.

[Deleted]

Hopefully they won't make someone walk.

 

[terrylowe]

Jbird, I just wanted to echo what others have said. Thanks for posting this thread. If you need to see a general practitioner to get a referral (as many people must do for insurance reasons), then it would be helpful if you had the name of a doctor with dive medicine training. Maybe google it? It would expedite your referral

 

[vladimir]

For an incident which just happened I would recommend calling CritiCall at 1-800-668-4357. This number should be called for emergency only. DAN does not keep a list of chambers in Ontario. If you call DAN they will call CritiCall to set up a rescue to the nearest chamber.

If an evacuation is involved, cutting DAN out of the planning may jeopardize reimbursement:

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/membership/handbook.pdf

IMPORTANT: DAN TravelAssist must arrange ALL evacuations. Emergency evacuation arrangements made directly by you may not be reimbursed by DAN TravelAssist.