Scuba diver dies after complaining of gear malfunction

[uncfnp]

The only thing that leads me to think she may have had an underlying cardiac issue is that they said they defibrillated her - that's not as common. Defibrillation is more often associated with cardiac events.

Obviously, deepest sympathies to her family and friends, no matter what. Definitely a tragedy, no matter the cause.

See chilly’s response. Uncorrected, respiratory arrest will ultimately lead to cardiac arrest. Then too a multitude of events could lead to cardiovascular collapse without any underlying cardiac disease.

 

[CuzzA]

Most injuries are not unique to diving, and for those, any physician will do, even a paramedic.

So would any of the types of pulmonary barotrauma lead to symptoms that would lead a medic to believe an AED would help her?

Is coughing up blood a symptom of a heart attack?

 

[PfcAJ]

Is coughing up blood a symptom of a heart attack?

No.

 

[Dan]

So would any of the types of pulmonary bataotrauma lead to symptoms that would lead a medic to believe an AED would help her?

Is coughing up blood a symptom of a heart attack?

Coughing up blood could be a symptom of IPE, according to Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

 

[NYdiver_666]

Coughing up blood could be a symptom of IPE, according to Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site

Interesting piece - however as I read it it seems that one would expect to see blood almost as soon as the diver surfaces - in this case the diver was on the surface sometime before any blood was reported and only after she had stopped breathing and was being administered CPR

 

[JackD342]

So would any of the types of pulmonary bataotrauma lead to symptoms that would lead a medic to believe an AED would help her?

Is coughing up blood a symptom of a heart attack?

Assuming the machine observed was not woefully out of date, let's remember that a modern AED determines on it's own whether or not there is a shockable rhythm. I would not expect anyone with the most basic layman's training on an AED to be applying a shock when it wasn't actually needed or useful. It is not a judgement call, it is simply a matter of using it properly - no human diagnosis needed at that point.

 

[CuzzA]

Assuming the machine observed was not woefully out of date, let's remember that a modern AED determines on it's own whether or not there is a shockable rhythm. I would not expect anyone with the most basic layman's training on an AED to be applying a shock when it wasn't actually needed or useful. It is not a judgement call, it is simply a matter of using it properly - no human diagnosis needed at that point.

I had some AED training for a professional CPR class. I'm not in the medical field, but IIRC, it was taught to me that if there's no heart beat and you have an AED, hook it up to the victim and it will tell you what to do or basically do everything for you.

 

[JackD342]

You are kind of right, except for "no heart beat." An AED is designed to apply a shock when there is a fibrillating heart beat. In the absence of a shockable rhythm, or of any heart beat at all, it will NOT tell you to shock the victim, nor will it do so itself.

I am not a medical professional, but I am an Emergency First Response instructor. (PADI's brand for CPR/AED/First Aid)

I should add that you do have to go through all of the preliminaries for the AED to decide whether or not to shock - strip the victim's shirt off, apply the pads, start the AED, all while performing CPR. So to a casual observer it might appear that someone is "shocking" the victim, even when that is not actually the case.

 

[The Chairman]

Is coughing up blood a symptom of a heart attack?

You weren't there and neither was I. I'm going to trust the boots on the site to have made the right decisions. If there is no heart beat, then BLS, including defibrillation would be reasonable responses. Treating a patient without a heartbeat for anything else sounds fairly unreasonable. At least to me.

 

[uncfnp]

So would any of the types of pulmonary barotrauma lead to symptoms that would lead a medic to believe an AED would help her?

Is coughing up blood a symptom of a heart attack?

Let me see if I understand your question and can answer.

AED is for cardiac arrest, which does not necessarily mean heart attack, and is now part of BCLS. Any circumstance that calls for BCLS for a pulseless (no heart beat by palpation) victim would be appropriate for AED.

And no, coughing up blood is not indicative of an MI.