Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive

Section 2 - Project Dive Exploration (PDE)2. Project DiveExploration (PDE)PDE is anobservationalresearch study thatcollects andanalyzes electronicpressure-timeexposures fromrecording divecomputers worn byrecreational divers.2.1 IntroductionDAN Research is continuing to address the scientific need for a databaseof re c reational dives through Project Dive Exploration (PDE).PDE is an observational re s e a rch study that collects and analyzese l e c t ronic pre s s u re-time exposures from data-logging dive computersworn by re c reational divers. In 2003, data collection was possiblewith four dive computers and one data re c o rder that are PDE-compatible:Cochran, DiveRite, Suunto, Uwatec and Reefnet Sensus. In2004, the standard data format was adopted by Oceanic and VR-3,widening the base of potential participants in the pro j e c t .Since its inception in 1995, PDE has re c o rded more than 80,439 dives.Thirty cases of decompression sickness (DCS) and two deaths havebeen associated with these exposures. The deaths were not felt to beD C S - related. In PDE, the diver’s health status before the dive and at48 hours after diving is linked to the digitally re c o rded pre s s u re - t i m ee x p o s u re. PDE specifically capture s :1) d i v e r’s demographic data;2) d i v e r’s pre-existing medical data;3) d i v e r’s digital dive pre s s u re-time exposure data; and,4) 48-hour post-exposure report on any medical outcomeassociated with the pre s s u re exposure .The project’s goal is to provide accurate data for complex physiologicalmodeling and hypothesis testing of diving-related conditions.All participants in PDE must be certified recreational divers. If thediver is exposed to altitude during the 48-hour post-dive reportingperiod, this exposure becomes part of the recorded dive profile.Many divers participate under the guidance of a Field ResearchCoordinator (FRC), who coordinates the data collection and entryand submits the dive profiles to DAN. The FRC is a passive observerinstructed not to interfere with the conduct of any dive. FRCs donot screen divers for symptoms of DCS, nor do they play any officialmedical role in the event of a dive accident. Divers are alsoencouraged to collect dive profiles on their own without the assistanceof an FRC. Dive profiles downloaded from Cochran, DiveRiteand Uwatec computers can be emailed directly to DAN (dasdata@dan.duke.edu).Further information is available at the DANwebsite at www.DiversAlertNetwork.org.22DAN’s <strong>Report</strong> on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration: 2005 Edition