Pre-hospital Management of Decompression Illness: Towards Development of Definitive Modern Guidelines

Course overview

Learner Objectives: As a result of having attended the meeting, the participants should have had the opportunity to: The basic steps in management of decompression illness (DCI) in the pre-hospital setting seem relatively simple, but errors are frequently made and aspects of the triage of unwell divers for evacuation and recompression (or not) remain controversial. The Divers Alert Network has commissioned a panel of independent experts to review this matter and to produce a consensus (guided where possible by evidence) on optimal pre-hospital management of DCI. This pre-course has been scheduled as part of that initiative, and it will serve two broad purposes. First it will be an educational and update opportunity for attendees who will hear detailed presentations on a variety of related topics (see below) given by the experts invited to be part of the review committee. Second the discussion sessions will provide an opportunity for attendees to express views and opinions which will allow the committee members to calibrate their interim conclusions against the ideas emanating from a wider audience when finalizing the guidelines in their subsequent deliberations. Subject Matter: Presentations of DCI and diagnostic pearls; First aid strategies in DCI and the evidence underpinning them; Common pitfalls when sick divers present to hospitals or doctors without expertise in diving medicine; The art of remote triage by diving medicine experts (the DAN doctor taking a call about a diver); Transporting a diver with DCI and the effect of increasing delay to recompression on outcome; The controversial issue of in water recompression. Teaching Methods: Live Lectures with use of power points; Panel Discussions; Question and Answer time; Handouts; Proceedings. Evaluation Methods: Evaluation is offered online through Survey Monkey, which evaluates the effectiveness of the meeting, that no bias was presented and overall objectives were met. Reference: Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, North Palm Beach, Florida