The automated external defibrillator (AED) was developed as a portable medical device and released for public use in the 1960s. The operation of AEDs has gotten simpler over the years, and the devices are now widely available for use by lay providers with basic training.
After cylinders first enter service, an annual visual inspection and a five-year hydrostatic test are required. These requirements include cylinders used for diving and other life-support applications and cover breathing air, nitrox, heliox, trimix, oxygen for decompression and argon for drysuit inflation. How are these standards mandated and enforced? What are good and safe practices?
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death across the world, particularly in out-of-hospital settings, where timely recognition and response are critical to survival.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE FILLED scuba cylinders, refilled oxygen cylinders, or boosted a gas mix are familiar with using flexible hoses. Some hoses are covered with a durable rubber or thermoplastic […]
Divers Alert Network (DAN) provides the industry’s most comprehensive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid training, grounded in evidence-based practices. Our programs leverage DAN’s research and medical expertise, along with the internationally recognized guidelines established by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR).
FIRES IN COMPRESSED OXYGEN EQUIPMENT are rare, even though we hear about life-threatening accidents — a rebreather fire, an emergency oxygen regulator accident, or a gas blending system fire. Several key questions arise …
IN THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE, we settled on the recommendation that equipment used to control any breathing gas mix containing 25 percent oxygen and above at typical scuba cylinder pressures should […]
DAN INTRODUCED THE FIRST standardized emergency oxygen course for divers as lay providers in 1991. More people trained in oxygen delivery means that providers in dive locations worldwide need to have emergency oxygen units available. Obtaining oxygen refills, however, is an ongoing problem …
Divers Alert Network (DAN) maintains a global recompression chamber network, which consists of a database of all hyperbaric chambers with the capability and willingness to treat injured divers.
A VALVE-TO-CYLINDER MISMATCH recently resulted in a deadly outcome in Europe. This issue is preventable with formal, function-specific training and a basic understanding of scuba tank valves and cylinder threads.
