Diver gets DCS on flight home from Bali

[dmaziuk]

It's worth remembering that the "bubble clock" might not start until you're at altitude on the first flight. The diver might have been fine at low elevation, but DCS is initiated on the flight.

So, 8 hours to Korea, then probably at least an hour "recompression SI" changing planes, then back to altitude again... I guess it still fits in "up to 12 hours" timeframe, barely.

 

[Kay Dee]

Gents, realise I am rather late to the party but did I miss something or .................... when did a reco chamber ride become a cure for dengue fever? I mean, with all the talk of it here one gets the impression that some folks seem to genuinely think he may have had dengue. Really? After all, he is not the first person I have heard of that did not experience DCS symptoms until he returned home after a flight with a similar time interval after diving. Sure, nothing seems to have occurred on his first flight, but no surprise that it did on the second. And his symptoms developing on the second flight and collapse on arrival at DFW with multiple aching joints, sure sounds much more like late devolping DCS to me (as opposed to dengue). Given what appear to be the realtively shallow nature of the dives he was doing, it is no surprise to me re the delayed onset of DCS symptoms.

Or did I miss something and he left the chamber / hospital still with aching joints / dengue symptoms?

Anyway, glad he has (seemingly) recovered!

 

[tursiops]

I can't find in the thread any info on what his pre-flight interval actually was. Did I miss it?

 

[uncfnp]

Gents, realise I am rather late to the party but did I miss something or .................... when did a reco chamber ride become a cure for dengue fever? I mean, with all the talk of it here one gets the impression that some folks seem to genuinely think he may have had dengue. Really? After all, he is not the first person I have heard of that did not experience DCS symptoms until he returned home after a flight with a similar time interval after diving. Sure, nothing seems to have occurred on his first flight, but no surprise that it did on the second. And his symptoms developing on the second flight and collapse on arrival at DFW with multiple aching joints, sure sounds much more like late devolping DCS to me (as opposed to dengue). Given what appear to be the realtively shallow nature of the dives he was doing, it is no surprise to me re the delayed onset of DCS symptoms.

Or did I miss something and he left the chamber / hospital still with aching joints / dengue symptoms?

Anyway, glad he has (seemingly) recovered!

A chamber ride does not equate DCS. Sometimes it seems if in doubt...treat.

I can't find in the thread any info on what his pre-flight interval actually was. Did I miss it?

Concrete info seems to be sorely lacking.

 

[tursiops]

A chamber ride does not equate DCS. Sometimes it seems if in doubt...treat.

That's how my wife found out she had a carpal tunnel problem; the pain didn't go away in the chamber.

 

[Dominik_E]

The way the physician that was interviewed was quoted...it may be the article, but I would not count it as scientific proof of DCS that a person is treated in a chamber. Not even the symptoms improving may be a real proof, as joint pain from a virus infection will vanish in any case, also while sitting in a chamber. No one here seems to know, me neither. But the story sounds strange.

 

[JackD342]

The rule is after diving you're supposed to wait 24 hours before getting on a plane. Minhaj has learned that rule should not be taken lightly, no matter how adventurous you are.

Doctors quickly diagnosed him with bends and he was then taken to Medical City Plano, where there's a hyperbaric chamber.

Just taking the story at face value, although we know sometimes facts get distorted or jumbled:

1. First quote above can only be interpreted as the diver did NOT wait 24 hours before flying. The exact timeline may not be available, but that is clearly where the story says the issue began and the whole point of the headline and the content. Without that short "time to fly" the whole article would have a different point of view.
2. Second quote above does not say "doctors suspected bends" it says they diagnosed the bends. So while they could be wrong, the greatest likelihood is that medical professionals were right, and took the correct action.

 

[uncfnp]

Just taking the story at face value, although we know sometimes facts get distorted or jumbled

1. Second quote above does not say "doctors suspected bends" it says they diagnosed the bends. So while they could be wrong, the greatest likelihood is that medical professionals were right, and took the correct action.

If only it was that simple. First “the bends” is not a medical diagnosis. Second, a diagnosis is not a fact. And third, if they planned to try a chamber treatment, of course they dx DCS if they want to get paid.

 

[Dominik_E]

Also, his Instagram seems to say that he was *also* diagnosed with an infection of unknown kind. I am simply hesitant to draw conclusions from what at face value seems to be whisper down the lane of a train wreck of a situation...

 

[chillyinCanada]

If he had not mentioned his second weird illness potentially contracted in Bali or in transit and being in ICU, I wouldn't have suggested that he potentially had dengue.