Don’t Skimp on the Oxygen

In December, a Southern California diver surfaced, came back to the boat, took off his gear, and moments later collapsed. Oxygen was administered quickly, and he was evacuated to a local chamber where he was treated. But his symptoms didn't really improve after treatment.

He was transferred to a hospital where it was discovered that he wasn't bent or embolized, but had had a stroke. He is expected to recover fairly fully. But the presumption is that a large factor in that full recovery is that he was given O₂ right away.

We can't emphasize how important this is in treating any emergency, let alone a diving-related one. Giving oxygen to someone who doesn't really need it will not hurt them or injure them further. But not giving oxygen to someone in any type of distress might affect their ability to fully recover.

So if you have O₂ available, hook it up and administer it as soon as you can.

- Ken Kurtis, Owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.,
Beverly Hills, CA