what now!!!

[jaywalker]

Seven months ago I had a bend in the red sea. I had two hours in the chamber and was told not to dive for 3 months. I've just started diving again and on my first dive 7.4m for 45 mins I came up and fell asleep straight away.

Later that evening I developed joint pain in my left elbow. I breathed oxygen for 2 1/2 hours and then fell asleep. The following morning I felt much better although I did have some acheing in my arms but not my joints. I went to the nearest chamber and they gave me the all clear saying that although I was not bent I was suffering from my previous accident. It seems that maybe I was not treated in the chamber for long enough.

The questions I have are...

1. is it possible that as I was uninsured at the time of my accident I was given a shorter period in the chamber than was needed as the chamber was not sure if they were indeed going to receive any cash from me. If so or if the chamber just messed up how will this affected my recovery time and my future in the industry.

2. Many people have suggested Nitrox as an alternative to air for diving after DCS. I just read the PADI Nitrox book and they say that this is not an alternative but apperantly DAN say it is.

I'm a tad confused can you help. Please.

 

[Dr Deco]

Jaywalker:

1. Chamber Time - - -

[sp]One cannot say whether your treatment was truncated because of questions of payment. If your joint pain responded quickly to the repressurization (within a few minutes), that was a good sign, and possible the chamber personnel thought that the two hours was sufficient.

[sp] As I have commented before in this FORUM, I do not believe that sleeping is a good way to promote offgassing following a dive. Sleeping not only reduces the perfusion (regional blood flow) to its lowest possible level, but it could also result in someone lying in such a way that blood flow is blocked.

[sp] If you had simple joint pain DCS, that should not affect future dives. However, I would not fall asleep during offgassing.

2. Nitrox - - -

[sp] Nitrox is simply air with added oxygen. The nitrox tables are based on the nitrogen partial pressure and the gas loads in the tissues are the same as air if both air and nitrox are taken to their limits. There is therefore no advantage to nitrox when diving with a nitrox table. If nitrox is used with an air table , then the gas loads in the body are less since there is less nitrogen in the breathing gas.

[sp]One can always dive conservatively with air or nitrox , however, and gain an advantage that way.