Diver Emergency Service
0800 4 DES 111, or 0800 4 337 111
This is a 24 hour, 7 days a week Diver Emergency Service for advice and treatment of all diving related incidents, accidents or injuries, including the emergency management of Decompression Sickness.
First Aid Management For Suspected Decompression Illness (DCI)
- Have a high index of suspicion. DCI can present as a wide variety of symptoms.
- Initiate treatment as soon as possible.
- Standard ABC’s.
- Keep unnecessary movement to a minimum. Ideally the patient should remain lying flat.
- Administer high flow Oxygen via mask (as close to 100% O2 as possible).
- Insert IV line - 1000mLs Normal Saline q4h.
- Monitor urine output. An indwelling catheter may be required if spinal DCI is suspected.
- Obtain a Dive History - following information is required:
- Depth
- Duration
- Surface Intervals
- Number of Dives
- Any significant events during the dive such as equipment failures, uncontrolled ascents, multiple ascents etc
- Diving at altitude (lake diving)?
- Altitude ascent post diving
- Past history of DCI
- The experience of the diver
- Contact DES (Diver Emergency Service) for advice:
0800 4 DES 111
0800 4 337 111
- Evacuate to the Navy Hospital – Auckland or Christchurch Hospital Recompression Unit if required by:
- Pressurised Fix Wing (300m Cabin Pressure) aircraft
- Helicopter
- Road (below 1000 ft altitude)
- Unpressurised aircraft below 1000 ft altitude
- Keep on O2 and IV fluids as above until reviewed at a Recompression Chamber.
- Avoid analgesia or sedation.
- DO NOT USE Entonox or Nitrous Oxide as it can potentially worsen DCI by isobaric counter-diffusion.
Print version of this information First Aid Management of Suspected DCI [pdf - 22 kb]
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The Navy Hospital's Hyperbaric Unit is the North Island's only accredited facility for providing emergency recompression treatment for diving related injuries.
The Diver Emergency Service, in association with our unit and with the Christchurch Recompression Chamber, provides a 24 hour, 7 days a week, nationwide service for medical advice and treatment of all diving related incidents, accidents or injuries.
We take calls from throughout New Zealand and the Pacific and advise the best course of action. If we feel that Wellington and South Island callers need assessment or treatment we put them in touch with the Christchurch unit.
Call 0800 4 DES 111 (0800 4 337 111) toll free if you have any concerns.