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| Originally Posted by [b Quote[/b] ]in this event surgery will be required to treat the barotrauma before recompression therapy can commence and administration of fluids would delay surgery |
Even if the casualty had a stomach full of food, they would get surgery without delay if it was an emergency, surely? Bigger aspiration risk, yes, but better that risk than waiting for the digestive tract to get a move on. In the case of fluids, can't remember how long it takes for absorption, but I'm fairly sure that by the time the diver got to the 'knock-out' room that it would no longer be a big issue. This, of course, does not apply to IV fluids.
Dehydration, however, WILL make DCI worse. Sometimes the dehydration itself is life threatening - we have seen this happen before. Also, not only does dehydration worsen DCI, the DCI worsens the dehydration. Round and round and round...