DocWong
Contributor
shakeybrainsurgeon:A question can also be raised about the decision not to use a chamber initially, but please this is NOT a criticism (I don't know anything about how an episode like this should be managed), just a question for those who deal with DCS directly. Specifically, how symptomatic does one have to be to go into the chamber versus just using oxygen? When I was in the Caymans last year, one of the people in our conference had arm numbness after one wall dive and landed in a chamber immediately. How is this decision made...do the profiles enter here, or is a good response to oxygen sufficient to watch and wait?
When Dr. Hattari released me, he said it was a variety of factors. As with most conditions it's someone's best educated guess. I'm sure there was a possibility of a relapse while I was at home, though I still put myself on oxygen anyway. I think it was the fact that the skin redness and 90% of the dizziness had resolved, that in his neurological exam, there was no positive findings. He's been at this for a very long time, so I trusted his judgement.
My arm numbness did go away after being on oxygen for 5 minutes. I'm sure if any neurological symptoms persisted, I'd have been sent to the chamber.
I don't doubt that another physician who's more conservative would have sent me to the chamber though.