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Preparation for Foreign Dive Travel: Considerations for Local and Exotic Destinations

Modern divers travel to all corners of the globe, and in doing so may encounter extraordinary health risks. These include uncommon bacterial and viral infections, tropical parasite infestations, marine animal envenomation, and exotic or contaminated food poisoning. According to Dr. Stuart Rose, who publishes the superb International Travel Health Guide each year (Travel Medicine, Inc., [800] 872-8633), factors which determine the risk of illness for a traveler overseas include the countries visited, the length of the trip, the use of prophylactic medications, personal protection against insect bites (DEET-containing insect repellent, permethrin-containing clothing spray or solution, mosquito netting around the bed), vaccinations received, health status, and personal behavior. In many foreign countries, sophisticated medical care is remote, or unavailable. Therefore, it is important for every traveling diver to anticipate likely health hazards and be prepared to act swiftly in the event of an illness or injury.

Preparation for foreign travel includes sufficient physical and dental examinations to identify treatable problems before undertaking the journey, obtaining appropriate immunizations, determining the need for any particular drug prophylaxis (e.g., against malaria), assembling a proper medical kit, and identifying medical resources along the route of travel and at the dive destination.

If you have not had a dental examination within the past six months, visit your dentist and complete any remedial dental work necessary to correct carious teeth, gum infection, eroding caps or crowns, and faulty dental appliances. Nothing ruins a trip faster than a toothache, and a dentist may be nowhere near the dive site. Have your doctor write prescriptions for all essential drugs you will be carrying so you may procure replacement drugs if your supply becomes exhausted or is lost. It doesn’t hurt to carry a letter from your physician as well, stating your medication list with doses. It’s also a good idea to carry a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses. Always take along a copy of your prescription in case you need to have new glasses made.

Medical emblems (e.g., bracelets) or wallet cards can prove extremely useful, particularly if you become incapacitated and cannot communicate your personal medical information with precision. Medic Alert, (800) 825-3785, is the best-known program, with body-worn emblems that are inscribed with a person’s most critical medical facts, as well as a telephone link to a 24-hour Emergency Response Center where more information can be obtained. The Life- Fax Emergency Medical Response System, (800) 962-8620, offers a wallet card which allows the card carrier to link to a central database and initiate an immediate fax of personal medical information to any location.

Be certain to identify the location of the nearest hyperbaric chamber facility, either by contacting the Divers Alert Network (DAN), (919) 684-2948, or the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, (301) 942-2980. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT), (716) 754-4883, can provide you with a booklet listing English-speaking physicians and health clinics worldwide. In a crisis overseas for which you need translation, call the AT&T Language Line, (800) 628-8486.

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Preparation For Foreign Dive Travel: Considerations For Local And Exotic Destinations - Dive Training Magazine | Scuba Diving Skills, Gear, Education