Newtown’s David Charash Hosts Second Successful Diving Medicine Symposium

By John Voket

When it comes to diving medicine, two of the most important elements are training and trust — training medical professionals and divers about the inherent risks involved, and fostering trust between divers and the doctors who may treat or certify them to participate in the activity.

During his breakout session during a daylong Diving Medicine Conference at Danbury Hospital April 14, Newtowner David Charash, DO, summed up one of the key concerns he and others in the growing world of diving medicine share.

“I have a cousin who is a recreational diver with over 1,000 dives,” Dr Charash explained to a gathering of about 100 interested attendees. “He floats like a fish, and he’s in good health. But he’s over 50, and he hasn’t needed to certify that he is in good health [for diving] since he was 18.”

Dr Charash and several other presenters reviewed the challenges facing both recreational and professional divers, and those who might be called to rescue or treat them if something goes horribly wrong while they are underwater — provided they survive.

In addition to the emergency physician, who is the hospital’s director of wound care, and one of two certified Connecticut medical fitness diving examiners, other guests at the symposium were Dr Nicholas Bird, chief medical officer of the Divers Alert Network; Dr Richard Sadler, a diving medical physician who authored the first medical manual on the practice; and Dr Matthew Partrick of the Institute of Diving Medicine.

The breakout sessions covered subjects including diving emergencies, situational awareness and the psychology of diving, the commercial and recreational practice of bounce diving, and when to retire the diver. Then, in the afternoon, attendees had an opportunity to obtain certification by the Divers Alert network in advance oxygen and neuro assessment.

A Good Mix

During a quick break, Dr Charash told The Newtown Bee that there are still relatively few symposiums at which virtually all types of divers can gather and interact with diving medicine support and response personnel.

“I was trying to bring in recreational, technical, scientific, commercial and military divers into one room to engage the discussion on diving safety,” he said.

Dr Charash said that while it may seem that the responsibility to ensure a diver is healthy enough for the activity, and the consequences of not revealing possible health concerns, would have the greatest impact on the individual, those who may be diving with a stricken colleague, or coming to his or her rescue, may also face life-threatening circumstances.

“It’s about understanding the risks involved diving underwater, which are certainly different than the risks running in a gym,” he said. “If you can understand any cardiac condition or lung condition that can affect you underwater, and make it safe, you’ve obviously decreased your risk for a diving injury.”

Dr Charash said about half of those attending the April 14 symposium were either commercial divers or those like Chief Mike McCarthy of Newtown Underwater Search And Rescue (NUSAR), who are classified as public safety divers.

Chief McCarthy said that while all the NUSAR volunteers were unable to attend, he keeps members informed about similar events being held in the region.

“We like to see every NUSAR member attend at least one or two workshops every year,” Chief McCarthy said. He said besides the educational and hands-on certification available at these types of gatherings, the Danbury event was an opportunity for his members to network with colleagues they might be working with in the future, from Brookfield and Danbury to the Connecticut State Police.

Chief McCarthy said the 2012 conference was valuable to him, because he learned how to better identify the physical fitness of potential divers.

“It reinforced a lot of what we learned about at a similar conference in New Jersey, which was attended by about a third of our crew,” he said.

DAN Stands Ready

That New Jersey conference was hosted by Dr Bird and the Divers Alert Network (DAN), who told The Bee that his primary focus is on the noncommercial divers, although DAN does provide a resource to professional divers as well.

“My primary goal is looking at the primary causes of diving accidents and how they are managed,” Dr Bird said. “We want to be sure the diver has enough prewarning about a possible health condition that can endanger them long before they are on the dock, or on the boat. We want divers to talk with their doctor long ahead of time to be sure you are doing this safely.”

Dr Bird also strongly encourages medical and emergency responders to get educated about diving medicine.

“We encourage education, but DAN is just a phone call away, so if a doctor is seeing a patient, and there is a question, give us a call. We have physicians on staff waiting to take that call.”

Dr Sadler wrote the first set of medical guidelines for public safety divers. And he is also working on getting universal guidelines accepted for diving medicine nationally.

As the medical director for the national public safety diving community, he spends “a lot of time hanging with public safety divers.”

“So I believe it’s incumbent upon all medical professionals to learn that they should look at the analysis of the diving patient in the light of the stresses they will undergo,” Dr Sadler said. “You need to pay attention, and Dr Charash does a great job in helping to point that out. He is a great resource for those who are treating divers.”

Dr Charash said his short- and long-term goals in hosting the annual workshops at Danbury Hospital are to create an opportunity to dialog between those in the medical and diving fields.

“Physicians need to have a greater understanding about the variables involved in diving medicine, and to share that with their patients who may be divers coming in for their medical evaluations,” he said. “And for the divers themselves to be truthful with their physician, so they can be better served by that doctor, who is determining if the patient is safe to dive.”

He said in medical school, there is generally no training in diving medicine.

“But there are resources,” Dr Charash added. “And I’m trying to get the word out that Danbury Hospital and Dr Charash are providing those resources. We’ve had people come from as far as California and Florida today, so I’m very encouraged.”