Rescue Diver - Chapter Four Flashcards
What is critical incident stress?
The acute stress caused by an emergency involving a serious injury or death, which may overcome or impair a person’s ability to cope emotionally.
What are 12 signs and symptoms of critical incident stress?
- confusion
- lowered attention span; restlessness
- denial
- guilt or depression
- anger
- anxiety
- unusual behaviour
- changes in interactions with others
- increased or decreased eating
- uncharacteristic, excessive humour or silence
- sleeplessness
- nightmares
What actions should be taken to reduce critical incident stress?
Enlist professional help
What is meant by decompression illness?
Lung overexpansion injuries and decompression sickness
What are the signs and symptoms of decompression illness?
- pain in the joints
- extreme fatigue
- dizziness
- paralysis
- unconsciousness
- cardiac arrest
- nausea
What is the most common cause of lung overexpansion injuries?
Running out of air
What is the cause of and signs/symptoms of an air embolism (also called arterial gas embolism or AGE)?
Caused when expanding air forces through the alveoli into the pulmonary capillaries, forming bubbles that travel through the blood stream and lodge themselves in body tissues, blocking blood flow.
Signs/symptoms (often similar to a stroke):
- blurred vision
- dizziness
- sudden unconsciousness
- loss of coordination
- bloody froth from the mouth
- breathlessness
- coughing
- personality changes
- respiratory/cardiac arrest
What is the cause of and signs/symptoms of a mediastinal empysema?
Occurs when expanding air becomes lodged in the chest cavity between the lungs (the mediastinum), and constricts the heart and lungs.
Signs/symptoms:
- pain under the breastbone
- shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties
- fainting
- shock
- cyanosis
What is the cause of and signs/symptoms of a subcutaneous emphysema?
Occurs when expanding air accumulates under the skin around the neck and collar bone.
Signs/symptoms:
- fullness in the neck area
- voice changes
- neck swelling
- difficulty swallowing
- crackling sensation when the skin is moved
What is the cause of and signs/symptoms of a pneumothorax?
Occurs when air forces its way into the space between the lung and the chest wall (the pleural cavity) and partially or totally collapses the lung.
Signs/symptoms:
- severe chest pain
- extreme difficulty breathing
- irregular pulse
What are the differences between air embolism and decompression sickness?
- DCS arises when excess dissolved nitrogen comes out of solution forming bubbles in the body
- The symptoms of an air embolism usually occur within five minutes of surfacing, while symptoms of DCS tend to be delayed
- Symptoms tend to be located on one side of the body for an air embolism, but both sides of the body for DCS
- The symptoms of an air embolism may improve as a result of first aid, while there is usually no change or worsening condition with DCS
- DCS symptoms tend to be variable and range in seriousness
What first aid steps should you take for a diver with suspected decompression illness?
- Primary assessment, rescue breaths and CPR if necessary
- Encourage a responsive patient to lie down and relax
- Ask questions:
- Were you scuba diving today or breathing compressed air?
- Did you make a forced or rapid ascent?
- How deep did you go?
- What was your bottom time?
- Do you feel excessively tired?
- Where do you hurt?
- Do you feel dizzy?
- Does any part of you feel numb or tingle?
- Are you having trouble breathing?
- Provide oxygen, giving the highest concentration possible for as long as it lasts
- Maintain the patient’s lifeline
- Protect the patient from excess heat or cold
- Arrange for emergency evacuation and medical care
- Keep the patient lying down
Why should a diver with suspected decompression illness remain lying down?
Some divers have experienced significantly worsened symptoms when they sit up.
What is the difference between ‘drowning’ and ‘near drowning’?
Drowning is death caused by asphyxiation in water.
Near drowning is when the person suffers asphyxiation in water but gets revived.
What is the primary first aid for a serious near drowning accident?
- Immediate rescue breathing with CPR if the patient has no heartbeat
- Be alert for vomiting, and be prepared to turn the patient and keep the airway clear
- Give a breathing patient emergency oxygen, keep the patient lying down and treat for shock
- Contact EMS
- Near drowning can also involve DCI, so contact DAN
