Nitrox workshop dings - Divers Alert Network

Rubicon Foundation Archive (http://rubicon-foundation.org)Jaap, et al.: AAUS Nltrox UseReported Incidents and RatesNone of the organizations reported an oxygen toxicity problem. When asked if a PO2 limitof 1.6 atm was dangerous, the DSOs responded that 1.6 atm was not a risky limit. The AAUSorganizations are required to report diving incidents. Since 1987, the incident reports involvingnitrox include:• barotrauma: 1• near drowning: 1• injury caused by cnidarian stings: 1• DCS incidents requiring chamber treatment: 6.The barotrauma incident resulted from a stuck inflation valve in a dry suit training exercise.The individual was hospitalized, provided chamber treatment, and recovered fully after a month.The DCS cases were not severe and the individuals were reported to be fully recovered followingrecompression. Symptoms included pain in the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip, ankle, back, andfatigue and nausea. The near drowning was the result of a diver concealing information aboutepilepsy; the individual did not honestly report this condition on the medical history form andfailed to take seizure-control medication.Three of the nine incidents were not the result of nitrox use. The six DCS incidents computeto a cumulative (1987 to 1999) incident rate of 0.03. The DCS incidents occurred in 1991 (2),1992 (3), and 1993 (1). The six incidents occurred in depths of 50 to 120 ft; some profiles hadthree repetitive dives, two were multiday operations, and one was a staged decompressionoperation. When comparing AAUS nitrox and air diving activity from 1997-1999, there were nonitrox DCS incidents, and for air diving there was one incident in 1997, one in 1998, and sixincidents in 1999. The DCS incident rate ranges from 0.00002 to 0.00009 for air. The incidentrate for nitrox diving for 1997-1999 was 0. Several of the DCS incidents have multiple dives todepths deeper than 70 ft. in common.63