Dive professionals know that decompression sickness (DCS) is a fact of life. We invest significant time and effort in preventing it. What many divers — and even many dive pros — don’t know is that most cases of DCS occur after dives that were within the depth and time limits of the diver’s computer.
DCS is unpredictable, and a diver who has symptoms after diving should be evaluated by a medical professional — regardless of the dive profile. Divers have a tendency to ignore symptoms, hoping they’ll go away on their own. So if you suspect DCS, trust your instincts and don’t delay — contact DAN, and encourage the affected diver to be seen by a doctor.
Brett started diving in his mid-40s and became hooked on it, always searching for warmer dive destinations to get him out of the cold and landlocked midwestern U.S.
Brett booked a dive trip to Cozumel. The first dive of the vacation was intended to determine everyone’s skill level before a week of diving. The 50-minute dive was easy; they went to a maximum depth of 75 feet (23 metres) and performed a slow ascent and a three-minute safety stop. Brett dived with nitrox 32.
Despite the ease of the dive, Brett felt tingling in his right foot and a dull ache in his knee as he was stripping off his wetsuit. DCS immediately came to his mind, but he brushed off the idea —after such an easy dive it seemed unlikely that he would have DCS.
Brett dismissed his initial concerns and did a second dive after an hourlong surface interval. The next day, Brett performed two more dives. Although the sensation in his foot stopped, his knee continued to bother him. As it didn’t feel like muscle or joint soreness, Brett still didn’t think it was a symptom of DCS.
But Brett’s nagging thoughts of a dive injury persisted, so he finally decided to call DAN and get the opinion of a trained dive medic. After discussing the dives and symptoms, the medic instructed Brett to go to the local hospital.
The DAN medic called the medical facility ahead of time, and they were ready for Brett when he arrived. After some tests, the doctor confirmed Brett had a mild case of DCS. Brett was immediately put on IV fluids and 100 percent oxygen and given treatment in a hyperbaric chamber.
After one overnight stay at the hospital, Brett’s symptoms dissipated, and he was reevaluated and discharged. The rest of his trip to Cozumel was spent above water.
Even easy, uneventful dives can result in DCS. If any out-of-the-ordinary symptom arises, it’s always in a diver’s best interest to stop what they’re doing and call DAN. While it may be easiest to wish the symptom away, being proactive and acting swiftly is more effective. Waiting can often worsen the situation.
“I should not have waited until the second day to get treatment simply because I thought it was impossible for me to have DCS,” said Brett. “If you think you have DCS, there’s a good chance you are correct. Just because you followed every rule and dived conservatively doesn’t mean it can’t happen to you.”
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