Teenager with DCS, mother in denial, treatment delayed

[Belzelbub]

... long after the -- quite possibly very relevant at the time -- reasons behind those ideas went obsolete and ceased to exist. I'm sure I know a classic anecdote on the subject but I'm drawing a blank.

1/2 turn back on the valve is one that comes up often.

 

[Wookie]

1/2 turn back on the valve is one that comes up often.

Open a steam valve sometime and have the steam condense while the valve is on the backseat and you’ll understand the 1/4 turn back rule. It definitely came from the Navy, as a favorite of Machinists Mates and Boiler Technicians.

It has no place in scuba. Regardless, I turn every valve back 1/4 turn. Hose bib, scuba valve, LOX valves, etc.

 

[ginti]

I don't know about that link but I've got a bit of a bad story about chiropractors. In 2009 I started noticing significant numbness in my hands and fingers. I assumed carpal tunnel as I've been a software engineer since 1997. Forget why I thought a chiropractor was a good idea but I went. They diagnosed carpal tunnel and hooked me up (improperly, I now know) to a TENS unit for a bit of a torture session. After three sessions, no change.

It ended up being a herniated disk combined with a genetic defect that nearly severed my spine between c2-c3 and also c4-c5. Was pretty obvious on an x-ray and even more so on the MRI and ct myelogram.

Had that chiro even bothered to do an x-ray (and they DID have one in the office) I probably could have caught it early before most of the cord damage was done.

Here's the deal, Chiropractors are PhD's. So a chirpractor can be called "dr. whatever" just like someone with a PhD in scuba diving is Dr. Whatever. What chiropractors are not are Medical Doctors or Doctctors of Osteopathic Medicine. Those two are typcally what a person thinks of when they go to the "doctor" for medical treatment. Chiropractars are legally prohibited from practicing medicine or writing a prescription for medication.

Sorry for your experience. I think you know what I think, but I believe it is better to avoid digging into this subject here, since it is OT and "delicate" too (is this the right word?). The reason why I brought it still stands in my opinion, but it's some posts earlier than the one you quoted and it's obviously debatable

 

[dmaziuk]

1/2 turn back on the valve is one that comes up often.

No, something about a button or a lever or something... not related to diving.

I've seen enough carburetor needle seats to know repeatedly bottoming out a valve is not good for it in the long run.

 

[formernuke]

It has no place in scuba. Regardless, I turn every valve back 1/4 turn. Hose bib, scuba valve, LOX valves, etc

Comes from being a nuke, I still do that as well.

 

[Celt]

IWR came from the practice of treating omitted decompression when no chamber is available.

 

[Wookie]

IWR came from the practice of treating omitted decompression when no chamber is available.

Yes, but Americans are scared stiff of the practice. Spear fishermen, especially those who frequent the SPO and Hell Divers Rodeo perform the practice routinely.

 

[Bob DBF]

What I should have made clear is that in many circles, old ideas are passed down without question to newer divers.

The problem is that those old ideas are passed down incorrectly, and no one now knows exatly why the procedure is done, or exactly how to do it correctly. I like to call it training by catchphrase.

1/2 turn back on the valve is one that comes up often.

It was never 1/2 turn, and it only needs to be turned off the backseat, since it doesn't have one. 1/4 turn was ok on the old valves because it took a lot more turns to open one, newer valves open much faster, so 1/4 is way more than enough.

 

[Belzelbub]

It was never 1/2 turn, and it only needs to be turned off the backseat, since it doesn't have one. 1/4 turn was ok on the old valves because it took a lot more turns to open one, newer valves open much faster, so 1/4 is way more than enough.

Yep. You are right. 1/4 turn. I couldn’t remember if it was 1/4 or 1/2.

Point is, i was needed with the old valves. Not needed on the newer valves, but some instructors still teach it.

 

[Bob DBF]

Not needed on the newer valves, but some instructors still teach it.

The bigger issue is that instructors will parrot what they hear rather than understanding what they are teaching. And one should not backseat a valve, new or old, unless the valve has a backseat, which most don't.