Dive Medicine

[islandforce]

Just wondering what the Diving Med Tech is, what they do exactly, and how you become one.  I have asked numerous people what it is but they were not able to answer my questions about it.

 

[Armymedic]

That's because there is no such beast.

For Med Techs QL 5 and up it is self learning about dive physics, injuries, treatments etc. Its one of those tasks you may have to do supporting a diving unit like the cbt engineers.

For Physicians Assistants and MO there is a 3 week dive medicine course which allows them to do dive medicals and be the dive medical officer on site as required.
There is also an advanced dive medicine which is way above my pay grade (MO's Capt and up), but talks about treatment and research of dive medicine.

The medics who run the chamber are Aero Med Techs, and that is a sub specialty which you must remuster into after you do your QL 5 course.

Then there is a bubble blowing Med Tech...who is a Med Tech who completes the ship's diver course. There are a few of those around too.

 

[Cansky]

Dive medicine course is offered to the Sgt rank and above  Its very hard to get and I only know of one Dive Medicine Sgt

 

[Armymedic]

Kirsten,
Old 6A Sgts, new 6A doesnt qualify as we can not do medicals anymore.

 

[Cansky]

Wait out on that as here in Gagetown we are trying to get a new 6A on the course  No one else available to do it and the old 6A are few and far between.

 

[Armymedic]

K,
Let me know if you guys are succesfull.

 

[medicineman]

This is the website for DRDC Toronto (the old DCIEM) where the Dive Medicine and Dive Medical Technician Courses are run out of (among other courses)  http://www.toronto.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/home_e.html.

MM

 

[herseyjh]

Any aero med techs out there as I am interested in chatting about the DCIEM tables, treatment profiles, stuff like that.  My chamber background is strictly USN, but I think that is because the industry I was in at the time tends to be sluggish to change.  Lot of old school.

 

[kj_gully]

I can possibly add something to a discussion on DCIEM tables etc...

 

[herseyjh]

My question is on oxygen toxicity.  If my memory serves me correct the USN states that pO2 should be 1.2 and under with extreme exposure 1.4 is acceptable.  Accptable in deep air dives I should point out and not mixed gas. That was my understanding, but I was in a dive shop recently talking to one of the tech guys and he says most guys use DCIEM tables now and run their pO2 at 1.6.  That seems a bit high to me and from my experience you would would be risking possible oxygen toxicity.

So I was wondering what does the DCIEM tables say in that regards?  Is a pO2 of 1.6 acceptable now, or is it just people pushing the tables a bit?

I found this reference:

According to the NOAA (a US government research group) this times are: 1.6 ATA for 45 min, 1.5 ATA for 120 min, 1.4 ATA for 150 min, 1.3 ATA for 180 min and so on. Technical divers keep track of CNS toxicity by using a CNS clock. This shows your exposure as a percentage of the total allowable exposure.

 

[kj_gully]

I would hazard that the "old" USN standard of 1.2 was ats guage? seems excessively , and uncharacteristically cautious, and I know that USN divers routinely dove to 60+ fsw (feet sea water) on 100% O2for quite some time. a PPO2 of 2.0 is what DCIEM has deemed potentially acutely toxic for an unacceptable percentage of the population. When I was in the Navy ( 2002) we used 1.6 ATA as the in water cutoff, or approx 25 fsw for 100% O2. For in water decompression, Canada  uses a 30' O2 stop(1.8+) and in the chamber, oxygen is used @ 40' for decompression, and @ 60' for treatment. in each case, exposure is moderated by using a 25 minute on, 5 minute off routine, and there is a chamber attendant inside with the person. As you are aware, there are 2 types of o2 toxicity, pulmonary toxicity, and CNS. The NOAA #s, don't jive with what I remember and would possibly be a misprint? Where did you get the reference, I am surprised by those #'s. In summary, 1.6 ATA is quite moderate as opposed to historical norms, and very safe. Just to put these #'s into context for Navy seals to dive on oxygen rebreathers @ even 1.5 ATA ( 2 hour max according to NOAA), they would have to swim @ 16', & @ 1.3, they would be skimming the surface @ around 9'

 

[herseyjh]

I got the NOAA number off a web site.  It wasn't a NOAA website.  I will double check the number for you when I get home in a few days as that is where all my dive manuals are.

But in the mean time the high pO2 levels are for decompression and treatment right?  What is the max pO2 for a working gas that a diver would use on a job?  When does a job switch from air to mixed gas?

 

[kj_gully]

The 1.6 is a working PO2. The higher PO2 (>2.0) is for decompression and treatment, and is always in a controlled environment. We switched to 84%He, 16%02 in surface supply @ around 150' , depending on the duration of the dive, down to 300'. In Mine countermeasures diving we (they) use a nitrox rebreather down to a max of 180, and a constant PO2 heliox set down to deeper. I will err on the side of caution and not go into depth, the set is configured to provide a max of 1.8 ATA throughout its depth range.

 

[diveguy]

SFB

Hi, know this is an old post, but was just sufin thru Army.ca and saw the Dive medicine link, I am a Sgt on phase 2 of the PA crse.
In 2007 Another Sgt Med Tech and myselft went on the Dive Medicine course.  Both of us were new 6A's and you are correct that we technically are not allowed to do medicals, but cause it was taught to us on the course we were allowed to do Dive Medicals under the supevision of a Dive Medicine Qualified MO.

Kev