Welcome to Medical & Educational
Providing educational information on topics relevant to diving medicine and safety. Some articles are of general interest to help improve diver safety, whilst others provide information on specific medical conditions which can have safety implications within the diving environment.

About the authors
All medical articles are written be either Dr Lynn Taylor (NZUA Dive Incident & Accident Recorder) or Dr Simon Mitchell, Specialist in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, and Medical Advisor to NZUA. Both are active divers and write regularly on topics of diver safety and diver medicine.

Diving and Asthma
Asthma is a prevalent disease in Australia and New Zealand, affecting up to 10-15% of the population of children in both countries. Many 'asthmatics' eventually want to dive, and unfortunately there are a number of concerns about the effect of asthma on diving. >>more (pdf 26kb)

Diving and Coronary Artery Disease
This article aims to provide educational information about Coronary Artery Disease and how it may affect the decision to dive, as well as raise the awareness that this is a condition which definitely needs to be discussed with a doctor who has additional training in diving medicine. >>more (pdf 21kb)

Diving and Hypertension
Divers frequently ask questions about medication and in most cases it is the underlying disease which has important implications in the diving environment, rather than the medication itself. In this article we discuss the significance of hypertension and anti-hypertensive medications in a diver. >>more (pdf 21kb)

Diving and Epilepsy
Although the vast majority of dive medical experts would agree that people with a history of epilepsy should never dive, it is a reality that some do. In a recent postal survey of scuba divers in Australia, of the 346 divers who returned the questionnaire, two admitted to having a past history of epilepsy. >>more (pdf 25kb)

Diving with Diabetes
Medical opinions on diving with diabetes varies widely. We aim to provide both an understanding of the complexity of the medical and practical issues surrounding diving with diabetes, and a balanced discussion of the arguments for and against diabetic diving. >>more (pdf 470kb)

Flying after diving
Background to the latest recommendations for the minimum pre-flight surface interval resulting from the DAN 'Flying after Diving' workshop held in 2002. For an actual case study from the database click here (pdf 320kb)

Menstruation
A topic very much in early stages of research. Are women at greater risk of shark attacks while menstruating? Are they at greater risk of DCI at certain times of their cycle? How does the contaceptive pill influence risk of DCI? >>more (pdf 250kb)

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Frequently asked questions, and a balanced overview and general consensus of expert viewpoints with information compiled from medical & scientific literature from other organisations such as Divers Alert Network and the UK Sports Diving Medical Committee. >>more (pdf 429kb)

Shallow water blackout
More correctly termed 'breath hold hypoxia' or 'apnoeic diving hypoxia' shallow water blackout occurs quickly, insidiously and without warning. So how does it happen, and what can freedivers do to minimise the risk? >>more (pdf 64kb)

Women and DCI - Are they at greater risk?
There is much speculation about women and the risk of Decompression Illness (DCI) compared with men. Reviewing this topic demonstrates how different conclusions can be drawn from the same data, depending on the depth of analysis. >>more (pdf 341kb)

Requests Please
Please let us know of any other specific issues you would like us to research and we will endeavour to provide you with a balanced and independent medical view on the subject. You can email us on nzu@nzunderwater.org.nz

Locate a doctor trained in diving & hyperbaric medicine
Clearly these articles are not intended to replace consultation with a medical doctor with specialist training and knowledge in diving medicine. Visit the South Pacific Medicine Society website for a list of such doctors www.spums.org.au