SCUBA Diving News

New edition of the advanced text on clinical diving medicine. Now in it's fourth edition, Diving and Subaquatic Medicine remains the leading text on diving medicine. This completely revised edition covers the newly described diseases of diving medicine, the modern types of diving and diving equipment, free and indigenous diving, as well as updating the previous edition's coverage of established diving disorders. Each medical disorder is discussed from an historical, aetiological, clinical, pathological, preventative and therapeutic perspective in the accessible but informative style that has made the previous editions so popular.

The principal disciplines addressed are diving medicine, occupational medicine and aquatic medicine. Those new to the text will soon find it a must for the personal bookshelf.

More info: http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/asin/034080629X/1286

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Labels: medical

A colossal squid has been caught in Antarctic waters, the first example of retrieved virtually intact from the surface of the ocean. "Now we know that it is moving right through the water column, right up to the very surface and it grows to a spectacular size." Commented New Zealand squid expert and senior research fellow at Auckland University of Technology, Dr Steve O'Shea.

There have only ever been six specimens of this squid recovered: five have come from the stomachs of sperm whales and the sixth was caught in a trawl net at a depth of 2,000 to 2,200 metres.

This squid has one of the largest beaks known of any squid and also has unique swivelling hooks on the clubs at the ends of its tentacles.

"It really has to be one of the most frightening predators out there. It's without parallel in the oceans,"

More info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2910849.stm


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Labels: sealife

Armed dolphins, trained by the US military to shoot terrorists and pinpoint spies underwater, may be missing in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of hurricane Katrina. Experts who have studied the US navy's cetacean training exercises claim the 36 mammals could be carrying 'toxic dart' guns. Divers and surfers risk attack, they claim, from a species considered to be among the planet's smartest. The US navy admits it has been training dolphins for military purposes, but has refused to confirm that any are missing.

Dolphins have been trained in attack-and-kill missions since the Cold War. The US Atlantic bottlenose dolphins have apparently been taught to shoot terrorists attacking military vessels. Their coastal compound was breached during the storm, sweeping them out to sea. But those who have studied the controversial use of dolphins in the US defence programme claim it is vital they are caught quickly.

Leo Sheridan, 72, a respected accident investigator who has worked for government and industry, said he had received intelligence from sources close to the US government's marine fisheries service confirming dolphins had escaped.

'My concern is that they have learnt to shoot at divers in wetsuits who have simulated terrorists in exercises. If divers or windsurfers are mistaken for a spy or suicide bomber and if equipped with special harnesses carrying toxic darts, they could fire,' he said. 'The darts are designed to put the target to sleep so they can be interrogated later, but what happens if the victim is not found for hours?'

More info: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1577753,00.html

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Labels: sealife, whale and dolphins

A SCUBA diver has to pay all of the £20,000 medical fees after suffering decompression sickness in the Red Sea. Although he had insurance that was only valid down to 30 metres, he was diving at nearly 50 m.

Anthony Allen, 68, from Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, has had treatment since he got the bends on 8 August.

More info: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4204696.stm

Labels: medical

# posted by SCUBA News @ 1:24 PM 0 comments links to this post

Decompression sickness is initiated by the formation of gas bubbles in tissue and blood, if the divers return to surface pressure too fast. The effect of exercise before, during, and after dive on bubble formation is still controversial. A new study finds that a mild underwater swimming during a 3-min decompression period reduces post-dive gas bubble formation. More info: http://highwire.stanford.edu/cgi/medline/pmid;16118578

Labels: medical, research