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| Title: | THE 1998 PROJECT DIVE EXPLORATION PILOT STUDY. |
| Authors: | Vann, RD
Winkler, P
Sitzes, CR
Uguccioni, DM
DeNoble, PJ |
| Keywords: | decompression
outcomes
chamber
PROJECT DIVE EXPLORATION |
| Issue Date: | 1999 |
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: The study of disease must be based upon sufficient and reliable data concerning exposure and outcome. Most previous investigations of DCI risk have been conducted in chamber trials where pressure profiles can be controlled and volunteer divers monitored closely. Cost, however, has limited the number of these trials to less than 10,000. As an alternative to chamber trials, observational studies have become possible with the advent of digital dive computerss that record depth and time. In 1998, the Divers Alert Network (DAN) conducted a pilot study to investigate the viability of observational studies. METHODS: Since 1992, DAN has worked wit the dive computer manufacturers to develop Data Aquisition Softbware (DAS) that allows depth-time profiles to be imported from dive computers into a database containing information about the diver, dives, and medical outcome. The data are sent to DAN by e-mail. DAN trains Field Research Coordinators (FRC's) and Data Collection Centers (DCC's) in collection procedures. Outcomes are validated by a post-dive (of flight) 48-hr report to verify the abscence (or occurence) of symptoms. Information on divers treated for DCI is captured from the treating centers. RESULTS: Three DCC's, 5 DAN staff, and 27 FRC's collected 6,425 dives from 540 divers (387 males, 153 females) in 1998. 78.7percent of the dives were on air, 16.2percent on nitrox, and 5.1percent on other gas mixes. Most dives(45percent) were to depths of 12-24 msw. The most common pre-dive medical consitions were colds, ENT problems, sea sickness, and back pain. The most common medications were for decongestion and nausea. ENT, cardio-vascular problems, and back pain were significantly more frequent in divers over 50. Divers with more than 5 years of experience had 5 times fewer problems than less experienced divers. Reported medical outsomes included: 50 incidents of non-dive related illness or injury, 4 ear/sinus problems, 4 recompression for DCI, and 4 ambiguous incidents (possible DCI). CONCLUSIONS: The Project Dive Exploration Pilot study deomstrated that observational studies can be conducted successfully. Follow-on developements will improve user-friendliness, error checking, reporting, analysis, and will expand data collection. |
| Description: | Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc. (http://www.uhms.org ) |
| URI: | http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/777 |
| Appears in Collections: | UHMS Meeting Abstracts
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