21-30 Change AU.S. Navy Diving Manual—Volume 5ments increases, the probability of benefit from additional treatments decreases.However, improvement has been noted in patients who have had delay times of upto 1 week. Therefore, a long delay is not necessarily a reason to preclude follow-up treatments. Once residual symptoms respond to additional recompression treat-ments, such treatments should be continued until no further benefit is noted. Ingeneral, treatment may be discontinued if there is no further sustained improve-ment on two consecutive treatments.21-6.6Returning to Diving after Treatment Table 5. Divers who meet all of the criteriafor treatment using Treatment Table 5, as outlined in paragraph 21-5.4.1 and whohave had complete relief, may return to normal diving activity 7 days aftersurfacing from the Treatment Table 5. If there is any doubt about the presence orabsence of Type II symptoms, the diver should be examined by a Diving MedicalOfficer before resumption of diving.21-6.6.1Returning to Diving After Treatment Table 6. Divers who had symptoms of arte-rial gas embolism, Type II DCS, or Type I DCS requiring a Treatment Table 6should not dive for at least 4 weeks and should resume diving only upon therecommendation of a Diving Medical Officer.21-6.6.2Returning to Diving After Treatment Table 4 or 7. A diver having cardiorespira-tory and/or CNS symptoms severe enough to warrant Treatment Table 4 or 7should not dive for a minimum of 3 months, and not until a thorough review of hiscase by a Diving Medical Officer has established that return to normal divingactivity can be accomplished safely.21-7NON-STANDARD TREATMENTSThe treatment recommendations presented in this chapter should be followed asclosely as possible unless it becomes evident that they are not working. Only aDiving Medical Officer may then recommend changes to treatment protocols oruse treatment techniques other than those described in this chapter. Any modifica-tions to treatment tables shall be approved by the Commanding Officer. Thestandard treatment procedures in this chapter should be considered minimumtreatments. Treatment procedures should never be shortened unless emergencysituations arise that require chamber occupants to leave the chamber early, or thepatient’s medical condition precludes the use of standard U.S. Navy treatmenttables.21-8RECOMPRESSION TREATMENT ABORT PROCEDURESOnce recompression therapy is started, it should be completed according to theprocedures in this chapter unless the diver being treated dies or unless continuingthe treatment would place the chamber occupants in mortal danger.21-8.1Death During Treatment. If it appears that the diver being treated has died, a qual-ified medical personnel shall be consulted before the treatment is aborted. If this isdone, then the tenders may be decompressed by completing the treatment table, byfollowing the air decompression schedule (as modified below), or contact NEDU
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