MEDICAL SERVICES
Climbing a ladder while wearing heavy gear, for example, can cause pain, soreness and even numbness or tingling that might be confused for DCS. However, symptoms after a dive warrant prompt administration of oxygen and evaluation by a medical professional.
Some things about this diver’s symptoms and recent history suggest DCS, and most doctors would include it on their list of differential diagnoses. The evaluating physician in this case considered it, but he knew that other potential causes had to be eliminated first. After a cardiovascular emergency was ruled out, blood tests and ultrasound imaging of the diver’s abdomen revealed stones in the gallbladder that were causing acute inflammation. The diver underwent laparoscopic surgery and made a successful recovery. SYMPTOMS OF DCS
Books and articles about DCS usually include an extensive list of signs and symptoms. It is important to remember that none of the signs and symptoms in any such list is exclusive to DCS. Here are examples of some of the most common symptoms of DCS:
STEPHEN FRINK
UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING MART Y
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A 53-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS DIVING at a resort in the South Pacific. He was doing approximately four dives per day; all his dives were on air, and all were within his computer’s no-decompression limits. In the evening on the third day, approximately three hours after his last dive and a half hour after dinner, he began to experience severe abdominal pain. The pain radiated to his back, just below his right shoulder blade. He vomited several times, felt weak and needed help walking. Concerned about the possibility of severe decompression sickness (DCS), his friends called a taxi and rode with him to the local hospital. 32 |
2021 SPECIAL EDITION
As you can see, these symptoms can apply to a wide range of medical conditions, not just DCS. This can make diagnosing DCS a challenge. MEDICATIONS
C A S E R E P O RT S A N D R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S BY
• headache • lightheadedness and/or dizziness • nausea • joint and/or muscle aches • fatigue, lethargy and/or generalized weakness
A 48-year-old woman completed a dive to 95 feet for 25 minutes on 32 percent nitrox. Approximately 10 hours after surfacing she began to experience widespread but intense muscle pain. She could not find a comfortable position, and nothing seemed to offer relief. She called emergency medical services (EMS), which transported her to the local hospital. When discussing her medical history, the doctor found out that the woman had begun taking a statin medication to lower her cholesterol three weeks earlier. Muscle pain is a
