Tuberculosis and diving?

[PILMAN]

I have a girlfriend who has tuberculosis, she was diagnosed when she was a kid and it was treated. Is TB an automatic disqualification for diving?

 

[bleeb]

You might want to ask a Moderator to move this thread to the Dive Medicine forum. Various doctor-divers hang out there.

Off the top of my head, I have this vague memory that this might depend on which agency is doing the certifying, and that a high resolution CT scan may be needed, and even then the risk may be higher than in people who have never had the disease, just to give you some possible clues to work from. (I'm no expert and my memory may be playing tricks.)

 

[JCAT]

I have a girlfriend who has tuberculosis, she was diagnosed when she was a kid and it was treated. Is TB an automatic disqualification for diving?

I usually just lurk, however does your GF have active TB right now? or was she EXPOSED to it as a child? Did she take medicine as a child? if so, what?

Many, many, people have been exposed to TB. They have normal lives and I don't see why your GF can't dive, as long as she is in good health otherwise. Consult a Doctor who dives or call DAN.

More info for you

 

[knotical]

TB is not an automatic disqualification from diving. Only your friend’s physician can give the definitive answer. This form, used by several scuba certifying agencies discusses pulmonary issues and might be helpful.
http://www.wrstc.com/downloads/RSTCMedStatementGeneric.pdf

 

[TSandM]

The problem with trying to answer this question is that "had TB" can mean anything from converting the skin test to positive (and these people are treated) to having active, destructive pulmonary infection. Without a great deal more information about how the disease was diagnosed and what the course was, there isn't any way to make a good recommendation. But certainly, across the spectrum of possible scenarios, I can say that "had TB as a child" is not an automatic disqualification for diving. How much evaluation would need to be done to be sure the person was safe would depend on what manifestations of the disease she actually had.

 

[PILMAN]

I usually just lurk, however does your GF have active TB right now? or was she EXPOSED to it as a child? Did she take medicine as a child? if so, what?

Many, many, people have been exposed to TB. They have normal lives and I don't see why your GF can't dive, as long as she is in good health otherwise. Consult a Doctor who dives or call DAN.

More info for you

She's not 100 percent positive herself, she said she caught it from someone at school, it was when she was a child yes. She was on medication and "treated". She had problems running when she was younger though as her lungs would hurt her.

She says her doctor said she cannot have a TB test done or she could die from it. I haven't heard of that before but I believe her.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

She's not 100 percent positive herself, she said she caught it from someone at school, it was when she was a child yes. She was on medication and "treated". She had problems running when she was younger though as her lungs would hurt her.

There are all different kinds of "lung pain." If she's concerned about any long-lasting pulmonary damage caused by TB, she should set up an appointment with a physician who has experience/knowledge in diving medicine. He/she may then refer her to a pulmonary specialist for further workup.

She says her doctor said she cannot have a TB test done or she could die from it. I haven't heard of that before but I believe her.

Anaphylactic shock is a potential complication of the PPD test - even for those previously unexposed to TB. Here's a link to a Canadian Medical Association Journal regarding this. Any health care provider administering the PPD skin test should be prepared to deal with this remote possibility (epinephrine shot). This is why, after getting the subcutaneous shot, they tell you to stick around for about 15 minutes or go to an ER if you begin to have difficulty breathing.

With a history of prior TB infection, her PPD test would yield a useless, "positive" result. This is the primary reason that the doctor is reluctant to administer the TB test.

Hope this info helps...

 

[JCAT]

She's not 100 percent positive herself, she said she caught it from someone at school, it was when she was a child yes. She was on medication and "treated". She had problems running when she was younger though as her lungs would hurt her.

She says her doctor said she cannot have a TB test done or she could die from it. I haven't heard of that before but I believe her.

I am going to echo both TSandM and Bubbletrubble. If your girlfriend is intent on learning to dive, then she can contact DAN. They'll be able to refer her to a Doctor in your local area who understands diving medicine and in many cases is a active diver as well.