Research

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The psychological impact of accidents on recreational divers: A prospective study
Posted on 01 March 2010
The psychological impact of accidents on recreational divers: A prospective study

OBJECTIVE:

The present study aimed to examine the medium and long term psychological impact of diving accidents on the victims (n=52), compared with the impact on two control groups: the victim's diving "buddy" (n=40) who simply witnessed the accident, and a second control from the same boat who did not dive with the victim (n=38).

METHODS:

This was a prospective cohort study of the impact of an accident on the victims who attended the Hyperbaric Unit, in comparison with the two control groups. Pre-accident psychological morbidity was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire. Trauma symptoms were assessed using the Revised Impact of Events Scale at 3, 6 and 12 months post accident.

RESULTS:

The accident victims endorsed more trauma symptoms and experienced them more intensely and for longer, compared with the two control groups.

CONCLUSION:

A significant minority of diving accident victims (between 25% and 50%) continued to suffer from the psychological impact of the accident, some for over a year. This has important implications for their future health care, for their safety on subsequent dives, and for dive training.

 

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Decompression illness presenting as breast pain
Posted on 01 March 2006
Decompression illness presenting as breast pain

We present two cases of decompression illness in women in whom the initial symptom causing distress after completion of the dives was breast pain. Both women were also subsequently found to have a patent foramen ovale. We postulate that breast pain may be an unusual under-recognized manifestation of decompression illness.

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Diving accidents in sports divers in Orkney waters
Posted on 01 December 2001
Diving accidents in sports divers in Orkney waters

Scapa Flow in Orkney is one oaf the major world centres for wreck diving. Because of the geography of Orkney and the nature of the diving, it is possible to make relatively accurate estimates of the number of dives taking place. The denominator of dive activity allows the unusual opportunity of precise calculation of accident rates. In 1999, one in every 178 sports divers visiting Orkney was involved in a significant accident, in 2000 the figure was one in 102. Some of these accidents appear to have been predictable and could be avoided by better education and preparation of visiting divers.

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Reducing delays in treatment - How sport divers in Orkney respond to accidents
Posted on 01 January 2002
Reducing delays in treatment - How sport divers in Orkney respond to accidents

Introduction: There is evidence to suggest that the outcomes of recompression for DCI are adversely affected by delay in instituting treatment. Delays occur before (phase 1) and after (phase 2) emergency services are alerted. Reducing phase 1 delays involves understanding how divers respond to a problem. Materials and Methods: The Orkney Hyperbaric Unit (OHU) manages all diving incidents in Scapa Flow and surrounding waters. We have an emergency protocol for all dive related incidents. All divers with a potential problem are asked to inform their diveboat skipper who activates the OHU callout system via the coastguard. Not all divers choose to use this system. We have analysed clinical and procedural information from incidents in which therapeutic recompression was required. Results: Route of alerting OHU, Coastguard Self-referred, n n, Symptoms to contact (mins) 33 44 (1-270,30) 26 396 (17-2760,240), p less than 0.005 KWT, Symptoms to treatment (mins) 33 121 (65-320, 109) 26 477, (50-2850,335), p less than 0.005 KWT, Diagnosis Qualification Qualification, DCIJ 9 4SD,2AD,3DL, 11 3SD,4AD,1N,1RD, DCIN 6 1SD,2AD,3DL, 13 4SD,2AD,5DL, MDWS 16 5SD,6AD,3DL,1RD, 0, DCIC 2 1AD 2 1SD,1DL, All DCI/MDNS 33 10SD,11AD,8DL,1RD, 26 8SD,6AD,6DL,1N,1RD, DCIJ -Decompression illness with predominantly joint, cutaneous (DCIC) or neurological manifestations (DCIN), MDWS - Missed decompression without symptoms, SD - Sports Diver, AD-Advanced Diver, DL- Dive Leader, RD - Rescue Diver, I-Instructor, KWT - Kruskal-Wallis Test.

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