Need for recompression chambers

[barney00]

Good friend sat in Shands ER with a type 2 hit for a long time because DAN said go there it is the nearest chamber. They eventually transported him to Tallahassee,with 8 hours of elapsed time following the incident. May be before going to the hospital with a chamber,to guarantee treatment,I need to breathe some CO,and get a stage 4 pressure sore? I really wish people would share their DCS incidents and where they go,because the cave diving community needs to know where to get treatment in the abscence of DAN knowing. It is unfair to have an accident,follow the rules of calling DAN,and they send you to the nearest facility per their list,only to get transported somewhere else,and delaying treatment. I know of two hospitals that will actively recompress divers -Tallahassee and Albany,GA,and I am driving in those directions while calling DAN.

I just learned today that the Tally chamber is down until perhaps February (or later). So just head to Albany

[Kelly Jessop]

I just learned today that the Tally chamber is down until perhaps February (or later). So just head to Albany

Thanks for the valuable information. Not to hijack this thread,but divers in general,and cave divers specifically should have a vested interest in knowing about their treatment for DCS before the emergency arrives. The experts we depend on are only able to provide assistance based on out of date information they are given. I would like the CDF moderators to consider a subforum devoted to chamber updates in the region. What hospitals will take divers,what chambers are serviceable,is one out of service etc.

[diverdarren]

The last four posts on this thread have hit at the point that all of us should be getting together on. And, Skip's right:self reliance to rectify DCS issues would be much better than uncertainty and poorly defined plans.

[a64pilot]

Two questions
1. Has anybody been bent diving at Peacock?
2. You guy's real sure Albany will treat divers? It's been a couple of years since I was there on a tour, and yes the doc had apparently a lot of experience treating bent divers, but he stated they would no treat divers. You guys sure this has changed?

[a64pilot]

AND if it does come down to a "group" like NFSA or NACD, CDS, KUR, WKRP.

WKRP, that's in Cincinnati, right

[MORGAN]

1. Has anybody been bent diving at Peacock?

Yes. I know of at least one person that has - severely enough that he was airlifted from the scene. A very experienced cave diver, doing a dive he'd done many times before. I believe that he made a full recovery.

[Kelly Jessop]

Two questions
1. Has anybody been bent diving at Peacock?
2. You guy's real sure Albany will treat divers? It's been a couple of years since I was there on a tour, and yes the doc had apparently a lot of experience treating bent divers, but he stated they would no treat divers. You guys sure this has changed?

#1 Yes! Know of people who got bent diving Hendleys and Lower OG,and also there is an incidence of diving a deep system,and then doing a long dive at Peacock,which instead of outgassing,saturated slow tissues.
#2 Things change. We all thought Tallahassee was a sure thing,since Gainesville won't. That is the purpose of my comments,we need to collect this information,and post it for all to see. There is the potential for us looking like a bumper pool game trying to find a chamber to treat us.

[Kelly Jessop]

Guys--I just checked the JB incident topic for any new posts and information and there's a debate on Stand Your Ground?!?!?!?! May we please get back on topic?

Maybe a new topic is needed and the moderators move it there. I am sorry about the accident at JB and hope the best for the victim. A secondary topic that has sprung up is about whether a person can expect treatment. This person couldn't get treatment in Tallahassee,which is 70 miles away,and we found out later their chamber is out of service. I would ask the moderators to have a subforum on the status of chambers in the area we dive,because we can't expect DAN to help 100% here when they can have out of date info.

[a64pilot]

Just got off the phone with a Gentleman named Jim, he is a Tech at the Hyperbaric chamber in Albany. http://www.phoebeputney.com/PhoebeCo...e.aspx?nd=1377 He said that if you call them between 9 to 5 Mon thru Fri., they can get you treated for decompression sickness. BTW he was a Navy diver for 20 years, so I assume he knows what he is talking about. After hours he said go to the Emergency room and he was sure they would try to get a team up to treat you or they would call DAN and try to find you a chamber, but no-one is on call, there is no staff to support weekends or after hours.
He stressed if you are bent, call them on the way to the chamber, don't wait. The number for the chamber is (229) 312-7600.
Sounds like maybe before you leave to go anywhere, we need a card with the chamber telephone numbers to give them a heads up we are coming and confirm availability? Sort of a plastic card you can put in your wallet, credit card sized maybe? Call DAN of course, but it sounds like maybe you want to have someone call the chamber right after DAN tells you where to go?

[FW]

Great news, thanks!

Just got off the phone with a Gentleman named Jim, he is a Tech at the Hyperbaric chamber in Albany. http://www.phoebeputney.com/PhoebeCo...e.aspx?nd=1377 He said that if you call them between 9 to 5 Mon thru Fri., they can get you treated for decompression sickness. BTW he was a Navy diver for 20 years, so I assume he knows what he is talking about. After hours he said go to the Emergency room and he was sure they would try to get a team up to treat you or they would call DAN and try to find you a chamber, but no-one is on call, there is no staff to support weekends or after hours.
He stressed if you are bent, call them on the way to the chamber, don't wait. The number for the chamber is (229) 312-7600.
Sounds like maybe before you leave to go anywhere, we need a card with the chamber telephone numbers to give them a heads up we are coming and confirm availability? Sort of a plastic card you can put in your wallet, credit card sized maybe? Call DAN of course, but it sounds like maybe you want to have someone call the chamber right after DAN tells you where to go?