BajaNomad

Decompression Chambers for divers.

Pescador - 5-24-2012 at 05:34 AM

After burning up two or three calling cards and chasing down lots of unproductive leads, I only found one decompression chamber for a diver that was having problems in Santa Rosalia and that was the new facility in Asuncion. I hear that there are chambers in Guerrero Negro, Constitucion, La Paz, Asuncion, and of course Cabo.
The facility at Cabo is "unbelivably expensive" and they get $400 an hour with a minimum 12 hour treatment and will not treat anyone who has not prepaid.
Asuncion is 2500 pesos which is much more reasonable and is administered by the coop.
So if anyone has any phone numbers of the other chambers or even the contact number of the hospital that might administer the chamber, it would be very useful.

Ken Bondy - 5-24-2012 at 08:18 AM

Maybe a dumb question, but does the diver carry DAN insurance?

Pescador - 5-24-2012 at 08:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Maybe a dumb question, but does the diver carry DAN insurance?


I should have been clearer, it is a local diver in San Bruno who came up too fast, so no DAN insurance.

Went to the hospital in Santa Rosalia, they gave him some oxygen and sent him home. Severe pain in the knee and the arm. We have him at Asuncion as we speak but sure would like to chase down the chamber at Guerrerro.

dean miller - 5-25-2012 at 04:50 AM

Been there ---done that!

Any update on the diver's condition?

Where did you locate an operational chamber?

sdm

BajaBruno - 5-25-2012 at 07:59 AM

Dean, rumor has it that he was transported to the new hyperbolic decompression chamber owned by the fishing cooperative in Asuncion.

Pescador - 5-25-2012 at 03:08 PM

He had two sessions at Asuncion and was reported to be doing well this afternoon.

The scary part is that he went to the hospital in Santa Rosalia and they gave him a little oxygen and sent him home. Only because one of out local divers, who is an instructor, kept an eye on him, did we see things start to go bad after he was sent home. When we got ahold of the guy in Asuncion, he suggested that he come over there and has had two sessions.

I still hope to find out if the new chamber is open at La Paz at the new hospital.

I still have found nothing in terms of Guererro Negro or Constitucion.

dean miller - 5-26-2012 at 07:44 AM

It would be a service to all divers present and future if you would post a list as you discover them of all the recompression chambers in Baja.
Type?
Size?
RX costs?
Hyperbaric RX Doctor on 24 hour call?
etc..etc

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*** "The facility at Cabo is "unbelivably expensive" and they get $400 an hour with a minimum 12 hour treatment and will not treat anyone who has not prepaid."


$400.00 and hour is a reasonable amount for recompression treatment. The installation of a recompression chamber is a huge capital investment and to be properly staffed should have a hyperbaric trained RX doctor, and internal (inside) tec or nurse and a hyperbaric trained operator on the controls. This equates to three highly trained specialized professionals plus the facility space plus the capital investment. $400.00 an hour is reasonable

** * "Asuncion is 2500 pesos which is much more reasonable and is administered by the coop. "

I would question the professional training, knowledge and professional abilities of a Co-op operation-- but --"any port in a storm." If the diver is now pain free and can return to work as a diver the RX was a success.

shari - 5-27-2012 at 01:00 PM

I imagine they have either trained someone or has a qualified person to operate our chamber. They also treat diabetics here in the chamber and is often in use...we are very glad to have one here.

Pescador - 5-28-2012 at 06:46 AM

Shari, the doctor you have there is very well trained in Barometric trauma and knew exactly what to do in this case. Too bad he can not do a workshop for the doctors in Santa Rosalia who treated this case with a little oxygen and sent him home. In Asuncion, he went through two recompressions and is now doing very well.

An interesting side note is I found out what happened to the unit at Guerrero, somone stole some of the equipment from it to sell and it is not working at this point.

shari - 5-28-2012 at 04:34 PM

thanks for that...good to know and I'm glad your amigo is doing well. Juan was saying how dangerous the bends are if misdiagnosed or mistreated. We are all so happy to have the chamber here in town as there are soooo many divers working.