A question for rescue divers

[paul madox]

If you had a unconscious diver would it be a good idea to give them a couple of rescue breaths first; if you can; before starting your controlled ascent
Or could this cause over inflation injury;and a waste of very important time!! just wondered

 

[Dirty-Dog]

I am not a rescue diver. I am an RN/CCEMT-P, however, employed as an ER/flight nurse. I would ask one question: how do you intend to clear their airway of water, at depth, before giving these rescue breaths? It does them no good at all for you to blow water into their lungs.

 

[Diver0001]

If you had a unconscious diver would it be a good idea to give them a couple of rescue breaths first; if you can; before starting your controlled ascent
Or could this cause over inflation injury;and a waste of very important time!! just wondered

Nope. Aside from the near impossibility of making this work, there's too much potential for a custer fluck there. Trying rescue breathing under water will just increase your own risk and delaying rescue breathing until the surface will not make the victim's condition worse because he isn't inhaling any more water at that point anyway. And like Dog said, I can't even imagine how you could make it work underwater with a real victim.

Just get them to the surface first. That's always prio #1 with an unconscious diver under water. (well, acutally prio #2. Prio #1 is being careful with yourself so you don't get so wrapped up in the rescue that you become a second victim).

If the regulator is still in their mouth then we're generally taught to make sure it stays in the mouth. If the regulator is not in the mouth then people have split opinions about whether or not to replace it but as a general statement, since the victim is no longer breathing at that point, then if yo ureplace the regulator or not, the result will be the same.

All that to say: surface first.

R..

 

[iztok]

If you had a unconscious diver would it be a good idea to give them a couple of rescue breaths first; if you can; before starting your controlled ascent
Or could this cause over inflation injury;and a waste of very important time!! just wondered

Unconscious diver does not non-breathing diver make.

Make sure reg is in their mouth (if it was when you got there) and ascend. Assess again on the surface. If breathing, just tow, if not breathing, apply barrier and pack breaths and start towing and breathing. (Don't forget to call/signal for help if anyone is available to receive it.)

Once out of the water standard CPR procedure is in order with increased oxygen delivery (if you are O2 provider and there is O2 available).

 

[paul madox]

ok thank you

 

[paul madox]

got what you are saying thank you

 

[Diver0001]

Unconscious diver does not non-breathing diver make.

I'd say that if you encounter one under water that there's about a 99.99998% chance that they are not breathing....

IJS.

From personal experience I can tell you that after a very short time they really won't be breathing. Once on the surface when you start with rescue breaths, a pink foam will start to come out of their mouths. It's a result of the drowning. That pink foam has a taste that you can't get out of your mouth for days, so I was told..... or out of your thoughts for months. (incidentally, this was not my student, it was the student of another instructor. If you want to read the whole story then you can look it up by searching threads I've started on the A&I forum).

A friend of mine once had a student panic on a deep dive and the student threw out his regulator and mask and inhaled water. In about 5 seconds, he was no longer breathing but was, in this case, easily resuscitated on the surface.

Make sure reg is in their mouth (if it was when you got there) and ascend. Assess again on the surface. If breathing, just tow, if not breathing, apply barrier and pack breaths and start towing and breathing. (Don't forget to call/signal for help if anyone is available to receive it.)

Once out of the water standard CPR procedure is in order with increased oxygen delivery (if you are O2 provider and there is O2 available).

IN theory.

In theory, sure. But this sounds so calm. In practice you'll have to try to do this with about 8000 times more adrenaline in your blood than normal.

R..

 

[D_B]

thanks Diver0001, and good points about adrenaline

... get training, and pratice , it is very different than just "knowing" what to do

 

[iztok]

I'd say that if you encounter one under water that there's about a 99.99998% chance that they are not breathing....

Care to share the source of your data?

In theory, sure. But this sounds so calm. In practice you'll have to try to do this with about 8000 times more adrenaline in your blood than normal.

That is why one gets the training. To try and remain as calm as possible. I think your numbers are exaggerating "a bit" for dramatic effect. 8000 times? Care to share the source of info where they've measured 8000 times more adrenaline than normal?

 

[clifftondiver]

iztok,
No one has ever sampled my blood before/during/after a resuscitation. But, speaking from personal experience 8000 may be a BIT of an exaggeration, but not much. My job puts me in situations where I do compressions, give breathes, and place advanced airways. I can say that in an emergency situation, one has to FORCE oneself to stay calm. I have had considerable training in all areas of resuscitation, as well as instruct others in those same areas. So believe us when we say you get "amp'd" up.