Health Matters
for further investigations. These include diseases or children), duration of dive
cardiologist, pulmonologist, neurologist
BAROMEDICAL DIVING EMERGENCIES &
(diabetic divers), type and remoteness of
and ENT specialists.
HYPERBARIC MEDICINE FACILITIES
diving, frequency of diving and depth.
Dahab: Hyperbaric Medical Centre located next to Dahabeya
Limitations generally relate to:
Instrumental investigations
Hotel, Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt contact: Dr.Heikal Abdel - Young people under 16 years of age
Standard ‘must-do investigations’ include Tawab Primary Tel. (+2) 010 143 3325 Other tel. (+2) 069
otoscopic inspection of the eardrum, a 364 0536
- Divers with disabilities
resting electrocardiogram and a lung Deco International located in the heart of the city of Dahab
In the case of health concerns, the dive-
function test, which determines the lung in Mashraba zone. contact: Dr Ahmed El Sherif Emergency
medical certifi cate must not be issued for
volume and fl ow-volume curve shows. Tel. (+2) 012 246 2200 Tel. (+2) 012 219 0372
the sake of the diver.
(See Figures seven and eight) www.deco-international.com
Sharm El Sheikh: Hyperbaric Medical Center located
An exercise test is, in general,desirable
Follow-up medical checks
in Sharm el-Maya by the Travco Jetty Tel. (+2)
and is compulsory in divers above
0693660318 24hr Emergency Numbers: Dr. Adel
The follow-up intervals vary: In healthy
the age of 40. A physical test is also
Taher: (+20) 12 2124 292 Dr. Ahmed Sakr: (+20) 12 3331 325
divers under 40 years of age, this should
recommended for younger divers who
www.sharmchamber.com
be every two/three years (depending
are not in particularly good physical
Sharm Hospital located at the Sharm International
on the national society guidelines of
shape or have anamnestic indications.
Hospital, Peace Road, Hi-el-Nur Contact: Dr. Ossama
the issuing doctor), and yearly for divers
The step test is preferred over the
Kamel Emergency Tel. (+2) 010 512 3964 Tel. (+2) 069 366
above 40 years. In children, who are still
bicycle ergometer for its simplicity. The
0318
growing and maturing, I recommend a
advantage for an annual step test is to
El Gouna + Hurghada: Deco International located in El-
yearly check-up. In cases of a restricted
create a baseline for future comparisons,
Gouna hospital (link) 22 km north of Hurghada. Emergency
or limited ability to dive, one has to
allowing feedback on a diver’s fi tness.
Tel. (+2) 065 3850 0118 (+2) 012 219 0383 (+2) 012 7445
consider the basic disease and its
A blood sample to determine the small
700 www.deco-international.com
manifestation. We examine the divers
blood cell count and organ functions
Hypermed located in front of Hurghada Airport Contacts: Dr.
each year – sometimes even every time
(blood count, kidney function, liver
Hossam Nassef & Dr. Hanaa Nessim Emergency Tel. (+2) 010
before a diving holiday – in some cases
function tests, coagulation and blood
218 7550 Tel. (+2) 012 218 7550 www.www.hypermed.org
even several times a year (e.g. in phased
sugar) is desirable but not compulsory.
Naval Hyperbaric Medical Center (NHMC) El Corniche
diseases with exacerbation at times, such
Rd, Sekala, Hurghada Emergency Tel. (+2) 065 3449
as MS) (See Figure 9)
Although an X-ray examination of the
150 Tel. (+2) 065 3449 151
lung is recommended within the fi rst
Safaga
Medical fi tness to dive after
examination, there is some controversy
Deco International located at the Safaga General
decompression sickness (DCS)
over its benefi ts. In cases of lung diseases
Hospital Contact: Dr. Emad Elhamy Emergency tel. (+2) 012
or existent breathing disorders, a
219 0383 (+2) 012 174 1533 www.deco-international.com
Previous DCS does not necessarily
radiographic diagnostic is mandatory.
Marsa Alam: Baromedical located at Marsa Shagra, 22km
aff ect fi tness to dive in the future.
north of Marsa Alam Contact: Dr Wael Nassef & Dr Nabil el
The prerequisite to dive after a DCS
Examination for the presence of an
Alfy Emergency Tel. (+2) 012 243 3116 Tel. (+2) 012 436
is that the recompression treatment
intracardiac shunt (hole in the heart, also
2222 www.baromedical-eg.com
is fully completed and the body
known as Patent Foramen Ovale) is not
Hamata: Deco International,Located in Marina of Hamata
condition is stable, even in the case
a requirement for either the initial or the
135km south of Marsa Alam in the Deco International
of persisting residual symptoms. After
repetitive or annual check.
Hyperbaric Medical Centre, Contact: Dr Fadel El Fayoumi
DCS, the examination must be done
It is the medical examiner’s duty to
Emergency Tel. +20 122 190 383 / +20 122 174 148
by a specialized diving physician to
reach a conclusion about the fi tness to
www.deco-international.com
investigate the risk factors. Fitness to dive
dive. Where doubt about fi tness exists,
will depend on the fi ndings.
consultation with other appropriate
Regional societies for diving and hyperbaric medicine
medical counselors or specialists should
How much can it cost?
take place. Any indication for further
Country/Region Name Website
On the website of the German society for
investigations should be followed up, as
Germany GTÜM www.gtuem.org
Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine (GTÜM)
diving requires a good physical performance
and cardiopulmonary disorders can have
Switzerland SUHMS www.suhms.org
there is an offi cial recommendation for the
costs of a dive medical examination.Those
fatal consequences. Possible additional tests Austria ÖGTH www.oegth.at
calculations are befi tting a German doctor’s
are a bodyplethysmography (extended lung
UK UKSDMC www.uksdmc.co.uk expenses and salary, but may diff er in each
function), chest fl uoroscopy, or HR- Spiral CT
scan, EEG (electroencephalogram), test dive
UK DDRC www.ddrc.org
country.
in a decompression chamber and testing for
France Medsubhyp www.medsubhyp.com
As a general rule, a complete dive-medical
an intracardiac shunt (patent foramen ovale,
examination inclusive of issuing a certifi cate
Russia IHME www.barocenter.ru
or a hole in the heart) with a bubble-test.
may cost anything from 70 to 85 Euros,
When deciding which investigations are
Italy SIMSI www.simsi.org depending on the costs of necessary
useful it is important to consider the overall
Europe EUBS www.eubs.org.
investigations and the number of available
picture of the diver. A cold-air provocation
reports. In the UK, the cost of a full HSE
test is defi nitely more important in a diver
South Pacifi c SPUMS www.spums.org.au
medical is around 100 Pounds Sterling.
with a history of allergic asthma when USA/Worldwide UHMS www.uhms.org
A medical dive examination in Egypt,
planning a trip to cold waters than for a
Worldwide DAN www.dan.org
performed by a specialist, should not exceed
healthy holiday diver in the Red Sea.
40 Euros for the basic requirements. In case
In addition to the results of an ‘unrestricted dive-medical’ there is also
of additional investigations one could should allow for higher costs.
the possibility of restricting the diving activities to certain limits.This
Comparing the relative cost of a thorough medical check up to the cost of
should be clearly formulated, discussed thoroughly with the divers
diving equipment, or even a single day’s diving on holiday goes to show
and only attested when a good compliance (reliability) of the diver
that the expense of a medical is not as large as the impact on your future
is obvious. Options for a restricted certifi cation of diving activity can
health could be, if you choose to dive without one!
be in terms of duration of certifi cate (handicapped divers, in chronic
52 www.cdws.travel
Issue 5 March - April ‘10
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