Time Factor for treating the bends

[kechco]

I am planning a dive vacation where the is no Hyperbaric chamber in the country. I am told that if there is a need the patient is flown to a chamber (closest is 1-4 hours away dependiing where you are in the counrty). what type of inpact will this have in recovery of the bends, etc.

 

[Dr Deco]

[sp]Generally speaking, the treatment interval (up to four hours) of which you spoke would not be inordinately long if one encountered a case of simple joint pain-only decompression sickness (“the bends”). However, if one is dealing with any type of neurological problems, then one must ever bear in mind that nerves die when the blood supply is blocked. [This is recognized in the general situation when someone gets a stroke. There may be good recovery or there may be very little.] I would certainly plan for the worst-case scenario, that is, neurological DCS.

[sp]When transport times are on the order of hours, there is always the chance that the treatment outcome will be less than expected. It is an unfortunate reality of recreational diving that divers will seek out remote sites that are “pristine and untouched” since they are remote. Regrettably, the treatment sites are likewise far removed.

[sp]In addition, be certain that one has insurance, such as can be purchased from DAN, since transport to a chamber becomes very uncertain when payment to the carrier is not guaranteed.

 

[King_Neptune]

Dr Deco,

transport to a chamber becomes very uncertain when payment to the carrier is not guaranteed.

Have you actually heard of a case where this scarry situation has played out on someone where it was a case of "no money = no medical attention"???

That would scare last nights dinner right out of me!

=-)

 

[Mario S Caner]

Both DAN and PADI offer great diver insurance plans. Anyone who has enough money and maturity to get certified to take part in a potentially hazardous activity like scuba diving, shouldn't skimp an the pennies a day it cost's to have the insurance. Both plans cover evacuation expenses as well.

 

[Warhammer]

just how do you go about finding out where the chambers are? I know you can call DAN after the fact and they will advise you as to there location. And most reputable charters know where they are in their aera. But how do I as an individual find them? It would be nice to have a database set up somewhere that would alert divers of treatment and payment options in any given aera.

And for those of you that have been bent. Was simply flashing the DAN card enough to get treatment? I've heard storys of "providers" getting burned by insuranceless people whom they've treated or those that have insurance that just refuses payment. That can only make it harder for me and you to get treatment should we need it.

 

[Mario S Caner]

Warhammer,

You haven't begun to doubt me have you? Say it ain't so! Here's a good place to start.
http://hyperbaric-chambers.com/links.htm

 

[Warhammer]

LOL!! Thanks for the link Mario. Is there something you don't know? Oh, I know what you don't know, but your working on that.

 

[scubadoc]

Here is a site that lists facilities and resources for diving accidents in the US by state and internationally by country.
http://www.scuba-doc.com/listchmbr.htm

This is basically what we have been able to accumulate by having people add their chambers. Whether or not the chambers even treat diving accidents is not known in some cases.

It is quite complete as concerns the UK, Europe and Australasia - but is not as complete as we would wish elsewhere.

We would welcome any information that anyone can give us about chambers and contact sources in distant dive sites around the world.
Send to mailto:scubadoc@scuba-doc.com

 

[Warhammer]

Thanks for the link, ScubaDoc. Do you know if military installions will treat cilivians for DCS in emergency situations? Reason I ask is there is an Air Force Base near me that has a chamber. All others are several hundered miles from here.

 

[scubadoc]

Military chambers in most countries and in most areas do not treat civilians, particularly if there are private and hospital chambers nearby and available. However, I suspect that this is highly variable and is related to the severity of the accident, the time element to evacuating to a facility and the branch of service that is involved. In some cases this is the call of the base commander or director of the unit.

DAN is still your best source of information (after the fact). It would be a good idea to try and get info from the dive operator who usually is forthcoming when he realizes his sale is based on your being given this knowledge.

I don't know of any military chambers in Columbus. There is a chamber at this locale:
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
Linda H. Robinson, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Emergency Medicine

Hope this helps!