[Coral-List] Reply to odd diving question

[August Heim]

I have dived with a fracture before and advise against it.  It is very
uncomfortable upon leaving the water.

2011/9/12 Isabelle Côté <imcote at sfu.ca>

> Hi Sarah,
>
> I'm the diving safety officer at my university and I recently had a diver
> who broke his wrist. I sought the opinion of the doctor who does the diving
> medicals for my divers. This is what he said:
>
>
> "The fracture itself doesn't affect his risk for any decompression illness.
> However the swelling, altered bloodflow and immobility around the joint can
> increase the risk of DCI. Therefore DAN advises against diving with an acute
> fracture. Furthermore, any pain, itching, numbness or loss of function can
> be confused with signs of DCI and make evaluation difficult. Any motion at
> the fracture site can delay or even prevent healing. If a fracture doesn't
> heal right away, then it can become highly problematic. It is called a
> non-union and can only heal with surgery and a bone graft. The cast (even if
> it is waterproof) is not designed to be taken to depth and with the
> pressure, may become looser underwater, allowing more movement and
> increasing the risk of fracture non-union. There is also a theoretical risk
> that there would be increased bubbling right at the fracture site further
> interfering with fracture healing. He needs to get the cast off as soon as
> the orthopedic surgeon thinks is safe, and then he should be good to go, if
> he takes care with it."
>
> So, in a nutshell, not a good idea.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Isabelle
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:50:03 -0400
> From: Sarah Frias-Torres <sfrias_torres at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Coral-List] Odd diving question
> To: coral list <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID: <BAY164-W396BA8223A5FBDA8A7092381020 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> Dear coral-listers,this is not a coral reef question, but due to the
> extensive diving experience in this list....
> Does anyone have experience SCUBA diving with a broken arm or broken leg?
> Any major concerns?
>
> Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D. Schmidt Ocean Institute Postdoctoral FellowOcean
> Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) 1420 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce,
> Florida 34949 USA Tel (772) 467-1600http://www.teamorca.orghttp://
> independent.academia.edu/SarahFriasTorres
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
> End of Coral-List Digest, Vol 37, Issue 14
> ******************************************
>
>
> --
>
>
> ***********************************************************************************************
> Dr Isabelle Côté
> Professor of Tropical Marine Ecology
> Department of Biological Sciences
> Simon Fraser University
> Burnaby, BC
> V5A 1S6
> Canada
>
> tel. +1-778-782-3705 (direct), 782-4475 (secretary)
> fax +1-778-782-3496
> http://www.sfu.ca/biology/faculty/cote
>
> Please note: I am on sabbatical until Sept 2012. The best way to contact me
> is by email during this period.
>
>
> ***********************************************************************************************
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list




-- 
august (n) - type of circus clown who usually wears battered ordinary
clothes and is habitually maladroit or unlucky.