Post dive infection

[Belmont]

I spent 4½ hours underwater, last week end, training for a new cert.
All went superbly well. After the last dive sunday afternoon I took my wet suit off on the beach and walked back to the water to rince it (we usually doff everything at the back of the truck), my boots also had sand in them, rinced them out too.

Tuesday morning I got up feverish and my right calf hurt and was turning red. Even if our dive protocols were ultra conservative, every one max depth 75 feet on EAN40 with a 20 min deco stop at 20 feet (practicing long hose reg exchange and hovering) on every dive . I was anxious.

I went to our local hospital ER, they have an hyperbaric chamber, and met the specialist there.

He found that my problem resulted not from DCS but from an infection caused by the penetration of bacteria trough water softened skin I caught walking barefoot in the sand.

Now I'm stuck with a regimen of IV antibiotics, one leg up reading The Board for the next 10 days.

I just wanted to share my experience for every one's benefit.

Michael

 

[trucker girl]

Read up on MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) which is staff infection that just doesn't go away. Just in case. My husband fought it for about a year- he kept getting little cuts that just wouldn't heal. The first time it ended up costing us about $2k with all the medical bills ($1000 deductible plus 20% at two ERs- we travel, so you can't always be picky about where you go in an emergency!). He had more infections that his body finally overcame. Then, the most recent one, they lanced it and put a wick in- he was in the Urgent Care at an ER two days in a row getting IV antibiotics and they gave him... rifamin? It turned his pee bright orange. I had no idea he piddled on the toilet seat that much... haha. Anyway- that stuff, supposedly, killed it.

It's also refered to as the "super bug."

Just a thought.

Glad it's not DCS!

 

[PfcAJ]

Did they do a culture on it?

 

[Belmont]

Did they do a culture on it?

They took blood samples, I think, since it's internal they prefer not to poke the tissues.
Most probably a blood culture was done. I'll know more saturday.

Now, Trucker girl thanks for the tip. I'll watch my aim from now on .

 

[trucker girl]

heh heh heh

 

[mamashark]

We had 5 dive buddies last summer get MRSA. It took them 2-6 months to heal it. My son also had MRSA which took about a month to heal. We had to go back to the doc every day for a week to get the abscess drained. Tried 3 different antibiotics until one of our dive buddies suggested we try the one he was put on...finally!!! One that DID work on the MRSA. Nastiest stuff we ever had to deal with.

Hope you heal quickly!

 

[Belmont]

We had 5 dive buddies last summer get MRSA. It took them 2-6 months to heal it. My son also had MRSA which took about a month to heal. We had to go back to the doc every day for a week to get the abscess drained. Tried 3 different antibiotics until one of our dive buddies suggested we try the one he was put on...finally!!! One that DID work on the MRSA. Nastiest stuff we ever had to deal with.

Hope you heal quickly!

Thank you,

I am already on a second antibiotic, started with Cefazolin, fixed the fever but stopped acting, now I'm on Cipro. Hoping to improve more.

Can you get me the name of that other medication that did so well, thanks again.

 

[PfcAJ]

Any word from the culture?

 

[Belmont]

Yes, the microbiologist called me at 7:30 this morning asking how I felt, if things were improving, with, I noticed, a certain apprehension in his voice.

He said the culture results were in and they found a new bacteria in my blood. For that reason he prescribed Cipro be taken stat. I'm to meet him saturday morning at 9:00 am.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[DandyDon]

When you get time, please tell us about the site you were diving...?

Good luck. Boy, I don't go barefoot anywhere anymore, boats, showers, etc...