SAUHMA - The Southern African Underwater & Hyperbaric Medical Association

2016 DAN Annual Diving Report

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 12:15:48 +0000

https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/report/

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Wilbur T. Workman Safety Award

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 22:20:20 +0000

Congratulations Francois! Your South African colleagues proudly salute you!

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SAUHMA Orthopaedic Consultant

Thu, 26 May 2016 10:37:31 +0000

Dr Snyckers qualified as an Orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Pretoria and currently works in private practice at Eugene Marais Hospital as well as part-time consultant in Orthopaedic surgery at Steve Biko Academic hospital.

He has enormous interest and expertise in Orthopaedic trauma, fracture fixation techniques, limb reconstruction and arthroplasty.
He is well-published in South African Orthopaedic literature and has given numerous presentations abroad. He also serves on local as well as international societies and faculties.
He is very interested in the role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Femoral Head Necrosis management and is currently collecting data together with Dr Gregory Weir on this topic.

Welcome Chris!

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Updated ECHM list of indications for HBOT

Dr Cecilia Roberts — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:13:42 +0000

Highlights were the change in ISSNHL and STRN (proctitis; cystitis) from type 2 to type 1, as well as Femoral Head Necrosis from no recommendation to level 2 recommendations, all supported by improved levels of evidence. The addition of a negative recommendation list is also new.

See the summary of the new updated ECHM European list of indications for HBOT in our library as well as an explanatory document on the consensus methodology and how to interpret the different types of recommendations and levels of evidence.

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Recruitment

Sat, 14 Nov 2015 10:39:22 +0000

The positions are available in United Arab Emirates.
Stated below are the requirements;

1- To be medically fit to work in the Hyperbaric chamber.
2- have a certificate in Hyperbaric and diving medicine recognised by one of the Hyperbaric medical socities like UHMS, EUBS and others.
3- have other speciality like family Medicine (prefered), surgery, emergency medicine or others.
4- recent courses in cardiac life support and trauma management.
5- experience of upto 3 years working in Hyperbaric facility and dealing with diving accidents and Hyperbaric unit management.
6- being able to work with his colleagues as GP if needed and have the ability to deal with common emergency cases.

Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us
I trust the above is in order.

Kind Regards,
Rutendo Jambo
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
Military Attache-Pretoria
Tel : +27 12 443 6557
[email protected][email protected]>

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Webinar

Dr Cecilia Roberts — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 05:49:32 +0000

The following webinar was recently hosted by Radiometer with Mr Dick Clarke as the presenter. The various elements around TCOM are covered very well. I am not sure how long it will be available for and the first 10 minutes and last 5 minutes relate to the webinar platform and accreditation which is not of any relevance to us.

Ebola

DAN’s Medical Director – Dr Jack Meintjes — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:59:24 +0000

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe and often fatal disease in humans and non-human primates (monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees).

The Ebola virus can spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes including the nose, mouth and eyes) with the blood, body fluids (including stool, urine, saliva, semen) or tissue of infected persons.
Ebola virus is not spread in the air, so simply being in the same room as an infected person without having the direct contact as described above is not a risk for infection.

During EVD outbreaks, those at highest risk include healthcare workers and the family members or friends in close contact with the infected individuals - because they are in close contact with the infectious secretions/bodily fluids when caring for ill persons.

The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa was first reported in March 2014, and involves four countries: Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
This is the largest ever known outbreak of Ebola.
Experts are working together in an international response to control the outbreak.

The risk of a traveller contracting Ebola is very low in the absence of direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or animal.
Travellers must have a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate and take routine precautions to prevent infections including malaria prophylaxis, preventing mosquito bites, regular hand washing with clean water and soap, and adhering to safe food practices.

The risk of Ebola virus disease being imported into South Africa is considered to be low.

Currently, there have been no reported cases of EVD in South Africa associated with the outbreak.
Even though South Africa is unlikely to have such cases, the Department of Health has put various measures in place to ensure readiness to manage an imported case of EVD.
All the important role-players (Communicable Disease Control, and Port Health Services, Emergency Medical Services etc.) are working together to ensure the detection, reporting and management of a suspected EVD case.
Our South African Port Health authorities are on high alert for ill persons with EVD-compatible symptoms who have travelled from West Africa.

Symptoms may appear from 2 - 21 days after exposure to the ebola virus (on average 8 - 10 days).
The onset of symptoms is sudden - with fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, and intense weakness.
This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and sometimes a rash. Some (but not all) patients may experience bleeding inside and outside the body.

If a person has the early symptoms of Ebola and there is reason to believe that Ebola virus disease should be considered, the patient should be isolated and public health officials notified. A blood sample can be tested to confirm infection.
A specialised laboratory at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg is able to test for Ebola virus disease.
EVD can only be diagnosed once a person develops signs and symptoms of the disease.

You will not get Ebola even if sitting next to a person on the same flight during the early stages of disease; the chances escalate during the late phases (when they start bleeding) when there could be a risk of contact with blood and body fluids.
Divers should pay careful attention to identify individuals who seem very ill, particularly in the areas where Ebola might occur or where travellers with EBV might enter other countries – such as harbours and airports.
All physical contact with potentially infected individuals should be avoided, especially contact with blood and body fluids of an infected patient.
If contact with a person with Ebola is completely unavoidable, gloves and tight fitting surgical masks are mandatory; a face shield or surgical goggles are also required to prevent entry of blood and saliva droplets from entering the eye due to sneezing of coughing.
Do not share diving equipment with an individual who appears ill and discourage such individuals from diving. If appropriate notify the dive school or administrative staff of the hotel or resort.
Any contaminated equipment, clothing or materials should be carefully bagged and quarantined using gloves and masks.
Infected persons must be isolated and cared for by health professionals who are trained in the appropriate infection control measures.

Access healthcare immediately and inform the healthcare worker of your travel history and the level of contact with suspected or confirmed EVD cases.
You will be isolated and assessed by a healthcare worker (doctor) in consultation with the Infectious Disease Specialist to find out if EVD should be considered.
If your symptoms are compatible with EVD, a blood sample will be collected to confirm the infection.

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Dr Pieter Landsberg

Dr Allan Kayle — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 13:01:00 +0000

I first met Pieter in 1982, when I enrolled for the diving and submarine medicine course held annually at the naval base in Simon’s Town. It was the only recognised diving course available at the time and he was both a lieutenant commander in the navy and a lecturer at the course. He later took my wife and I for an inland dive at Cinderella dam in Benoni. It was a dreadful dive, with very limited visibility and nothing to see aside from weeds and an old sunken rowing boat. But it was the beginning of a lifetime association in diving medicine. At that time, SAUHMA did not exist. There was no relationship of any kind between doctors living in all the different provinces in South Africa and interested in underwater medicine.

Together with a few other doctors, notably Dr Frans Cronje and Dr Andy Branfield, Pieter used to meet with us from time to time at the Institute for Aviation Medicine near Pretoria. It was here that the concept of a formal diving medical association arose and SAUHMA was born. At that stage, only Gauteng was represented and Pieter was the first president. He was also fiercely concerned in the training of the fire-fighting unit in Benoni and preparing his MD thesis on the physiology of carbon dioxide in breathhold diving. A few years later SAUHMA expanded to include all diving doctors in all provinces as well as the SA Navy.

We have lost the father of our society and we mourn our loss.

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It Is Here! New Website Announcement

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 13:30:00 +0000

SAUHMA is pleased to announce the release of our new website, designed with a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation, updated with the latest information about our products and services.

The updated video page showcases the presentations of the recent SAUHMA conference. You can now easily find the login link to the new "Diving Fitness Registry", the easy to navigate "Library” and a great “Calendar” to keep you update with all things SAUHMA under the same roof.

One of our main goals was to build a user-friendly and simple to navigate site. The new design allows the users to quickly find the contents thanks to its low hierarchical structure.

We hope that you will enjoy browsing our new site, finding more options and information each time, and that it will be yet another tool for strengthening our relations.

Sincerely,

Dr Cecilia Roberts

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