voluntary medicals?

[Dr Stevil]

I wouldn't normally have bothered to post this but the two fatalities of this weekend have made me think that it might be a valuable topic of discussion/consideration.

I understand the rationale behind the self-certification medicals becoming more widespread, but I can't help wondering if this hasn't been a bit of a faux pas, seeing as more and more "incidents" have been concluded to be due to heart attacks and strokes etc etc.

Personally, I found such things so worrying I recently took advantage of my doctor's "offer" of a "full MOT" (ECG, BP, lytes, Chem-7, CBC, LDL:HDL, yadda yadda yadda... sounds like an excerpt from "ER" doesn't it ) .

No matter what state of health you think you're in, you simply can't know what's happening on a biochemical and physiological health level without proper medical analyses.

It's incredibly reassuring to be told you're in a very low-risk category for major life-threatening factors & I would urge anyone and everyone to take advantage of our health service (while we've still got one!).
I for one will be taking voluntary annual medicals for my own peace of mind.

PS can any of the medical YD-ers explain why the ER guys always shout "stat!" at the end of that list above ???

[Dave Crampton]

Originally Posted by Steve W

blar blar... ...Personally, I found such things so worrying I recently took advantage of my doctor's "offer" of a "full MOT" (ECG, BP, lytes, Chem-7, CBC, LDL:HDL, yadda yadda yadda... sounds like an excerpt from "ER" doesn't it ) . ....

Steve mate you really crack me up sometimes!!!

cheers mate.

Dave C

[ChrisP]

Hi Steve
The "stat" means "immediately".
There is not a lot of good evidence for doing routine medicals as a screening test for illness. I understand why it sounds like a good idea but it just doesn't seem to work very well.
More important is to look at potential risk factors and we can all do this with minimal medical input. Think about the following if you want to reduce your risk of stroke and heart attack: Smoking - probably the number one, weight, exercise, diet (independantly of weight, some peoples weight is fine but their diet is awful and vice versa) and alcohol. If you want some tests then it is a good idea to have your blood pressure checked and probably a test for diabetes occassionally. if you have a family history of stroke or heart attack in a close relative and particularly if they were young, say 40's or younger then discuss it with your GP and get a cholesterol test too.
If everyone paid proper attention to their risk factors there would be a dramatic fall in stroke and heart attacks, although life might not be as much fun!!
The self certification system was brought in because the old system was not working - dive medicals performed by doctors with no experience of diving medicine. That had to be a bad thing.

[Helen F H]

Second last time i was at the quacks for the obligatory check over before the repeat prescription (girls, you know what im on about here) she said (doc with the bedside manner of a slapped bulldog) "your blood pressure is a bit higher than normal"
Now understand that my blood pressure is normally BELOW normal. Im a freak. But it was up to "normal", which for me was "abnormal".

Now, this could have been worrying until you look at it like this:

I was flying to malta on the monday - appointment was on the thursday. I was getting a lift down to SETT on friday with Josie. Stress city already. HOWEVER, i hadnt been paid. I was sposed to be paid on the thursday, then the friday, then hopefully the monday that i flew to malta. I had £50 to last the weekend. And she wondered why i was stressed!

I went back a couple of weeks ago and the BP was back to in my boots where it belonged. Apparently i should faint all the time. Maybe im just a laid back kinda person.

I get a medical every 5 years now, just to keep them happy.

[Dr Stevil]

Cheers chris for the definition, but why does stat mean immediately (you know we're a bunch of hardcore pedants here )

Anyhoo.. the point of my post was to highlight the factors you mention: blood pressure (BP) cholesterol (LDL:HDL) , diabetes (part of the Chem-7)

Looking around most dive sites in the surface interval, you'd be forgiven for thinking that someone was actually advocating smoking to divers.

BTW how are all those the quitting-smoking YD-ers getting on?

[Helen F H]

i think that if people smoke they should have to get a medical. Just my personal opinion, but killing off all those cillia aint gonna be good for the snot and shite in yer lungs is it? And once this snot and shit blocks the minor airways, thats it, pop, oops there goes a lung.

[dave archer]

Originally Posted by Steve W

BTW how are all those the quitting-smoking YD-ers getting on?

Off since New Year. Had one since in a drunk moment of weakness, regretted it big time, won't be happening again. The other weekend when some of my group lit up post dive I found my reaction was "yuk!" whereas a couple of month's ago it would have been "grrr, I want one, what can I have instead? Where the biscuits...". So I'm pretty chuffed to be honest

BTW Dr W you ignored my questions on the inland site thread - what're the Lakes like to dive, and where's your St Kilda trip report?

Dave.

[Dr Stevil]

Originally Posted by dave archer

BTW Dr W you ignored my questions on the inland site thread - what're the Lakes like to dive, and where's your St Kilda trip report?

Dave.

Sorry Dave, Lakes are generally, cold deep & dark, nowt in them but mud, dead trees, the occasional dead sheep and the very occasional dead spouse (I kid yee not!!) However viz is usually ok, esp. in Crummock & Wast, until there's a bunch of trainees doing drills that is
Once dived Lake Bassenthwaite looking tfor the very very rare fish the Vendace, but this was the ultimate in bad viz diving, me and my buddy persevered for 20mins diving by Braille

St Kilda, it's all lies, crap viz, no wildlife etc etc, in fact I would advise all divers not to waste their money, stay at home or go to Stoney, honestly, you're not missing anything, nothing to see there, just move along. Any rumours of me booking a return visit for next year are also lies

Buddy at 30m

[Steve S]

[quote=Steve W]I

I understand the rationale behind the self-certification medicals becoming more widespread, but I can't help wondering if this hasn't been a bit of a faux pas, seeing as more and more "incidents" have been concluded to be due to heart attacks and strokes etc etc.

QUOTE]


I think any kind of exam has to be a good thing I still have to have a medical annually from a referee because of my diabetes.

That said though a guy in our club is a PADI instructor and has to have an annual HSE medical, four months after passing with no problems a routine check at his health club found him to have dangerously high blood pressure that is still keeping him out of the water, so I guess unfortunately nothing is infallible.

Safe diving,
Steve.

[ChrisP]

Hi Steve
I should have known you wanted a more detailed reply!
The word stat is used in prescription writing to mean immediately and it comes from the latin statim. However it is often used in other medical contexts when the doc means "do it now"!
BTW in response to another post I don't know whether smokers should have annual medicals - they know they are taking part in an at risk past time and a medical won't change that.
An interesting anecdote - when I was in training a highly respected Cardiologist saw a patient in out patients and declared them fit and well, while they were waiting in the waiting room outside his office they had a cardiac arrest and died. I am still not convinced regular medicals will help and I am not aware of any research evidence that says they will. We all need to be honest with ourselves on the self declaration forms and look at our general fitness levels.