DAN EUROPE NEWS

DAN EUROPE NEWS
DAN EUROPE NEWS
European edition of
Organo ufficiale del Divers Alert Network Europe
Periodico trimestrale - Anno 2004- n. 2
Aut. Trib. Pescara n. 19/91 del 4/2/94
Sped. in abb. post. art. 2 comma 20/c Legge 662/96 - Filiale di Teramo
II QUARTER - 2004
with translations in
italiano
deutsch
français
español
nederlands
Your dive safety association
TAXE PERÇUE
PORT BETAALD
TASSA PAGATA
POSTGEBÜHR BEZAHLT
ENVÍO POSTAL INCLUIDO
POSTAGE PAID
TO HEIMLICH OR NOT?
DAN Discusses the Pros and Cons of Dealing With An Unconscious Diver
DENGUE ON THE RISE? Knowing its carrier, the mosquito, its life cycle and feeding
habits can help diminish chances of infection when you travel.
BEWARE OF BITES When You're Traveling to Risk Areas, Be Cautious
WHY FITNESS? If it isn't working - what to do instead
CORRECTION OF OPTICAL REFRACTIVE ERRORS IN DIVERS USING OPTICAL MASKS

Divers Alert Network (DAN), a nonprofit organization, exists
to provide expert medical information and advice for the
benefit of the diving public. DAN´s historical and primary
function is to provide emergency medical advice and assis-
tance for underwater diving accidents, to work to prevent
accidents and to promote diving safety. Second, DAN pro-
motes and supports underwater diving research and edu-
cation, particularly as it relates to the improvement of div-
ing safety, medical treatment and first aid. Third, DAN
strives to provide the most accurate, up-to-date and unbi-
ased information on issues of common concern to the div-
ing public, primarily, but not exclusively, for diving safety.
DAN Mission Statement
Moving? If you have moved in the last year, please send DAN your new address.
Questions? Call DAN Europe at [phone] or any of your regional offices indicated above.
DAN EUROPE FOUNDATION
Territory: Geographical Europe, European territories
and protectorates, with regional IDAN responsibility for
the Mediterranean Sea and Shore, the Red Sea, the
Arabian Gulf, Ethiopia, and the Maldives.
REGISTERED ADDRESS AND HEADQUARTERS:
"ENFIN", TRIQ TAMARMORA, ST. JULIAN, SGN 07, MALTA.
FAX [phone] - EMAIL: [e-mail]
OPERATIONS HEAD OFFICE:
P.O. BOX: DAN, 64026 Roseto, Italy,
PHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: http://www.daneurope.org
DAN Europe Regional Offices
DAN Europe Balkans
(Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof. Alessandro Marroni
REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Dragana Ivkovic, M. D.
Milovana Marinkovica 17. 11000 Belgrade,
Serbia and Montenegro
PHONE AND FAX: [phone]
Mobile [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe BeNeLux
(Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof. Costantino Balestra Ph.D.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Peter Germonpre M.D.
REGIONAL HEAD OF Training (Dutch): Guy Thomas
REGIONAL HEAD OF TRAINING ( FRENCH): Frédéric
Venderschueren
PHONE AND FAX: refer to Central Office in Italy
EMAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Croatia
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof Alessandro Marroni
NATIONAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Darko Kovacevic M.D.
Kozarcaninova 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe France
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof. Costantino Balestra Ph.D.
AREA MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Peter Germonpre M.D.
NATIONAL MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Bruno Grandjean M.D.
Service de Médecine Hyperbare, Centre Hospitalier
d'Ajaccio, 27 Avenue Impératrice Eugénie,
20303 AJACCIO CEDEX
PHONE AND FAX: refer to Central Office in Italy
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Germany, Austria & Hungary
AREA DIRECTOR: Dr. Ulrich van Laak M.D.
Eichkoppelweg 70, 24119 Kronshagen, Germany
PHONE: [phone]
(Monday and Thursday 18 until 21 h CET)
FAX: [phone]
EMAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Hellas
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof Alessandro Marroni
MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Dr Bassilis Zachariades
C/o Hyperbaric Medical Center, 5 Klazomenon st.,
Tavros Athens, 17778
Fax [phone]
(workdays, 13:00 to 19:00 pm)
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Ibérica (Andorra, Portugal, Spain)
AREA DIRECTOR: Dr. Jordi Desola, M.D., Ph.D.
CRIS Unitat de Terapèutica Hiperbàrica, Dos de Maig
301, Hospital Creu Roja, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
PHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Italia
NATIONAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Nuccia De Angelis
MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Prof. Alessandro Marroni M.D.
P.O. Box DAN, 64026 Roseto , Italy,
PHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone].
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Malta
NATIONAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Ramiro Cali Corleo M.D.
"Enfin", Triq Ta Marmora, St. Julian, SGN 07, Malta ,
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Polska
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof Alessandro Marroni
MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Zdzislaw Sicko, M.D., Ph.D.
Membership Assistance Coordinator, Jacek Kot, M.D.,
Ph.D. - National Center for Hyperbaric Medicine,
Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine
Powstania Styczniowego 9B
Gdynia 81-519, Poland
PHONE [phone] (08:00 – 15:00)
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Skandinavien
(Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland)
AREA DIRECTOR: Dr. Ole Hyldegaard, MD, Ph.D.
P.O.Box 306, 2830 Virum, Denmark.
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Slovenia
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof Alessandro Marroni
Phone and Fax : refer to Operations Head Office in Italy
DAN Europe Suisse
NATIONAL DIRECTOR: Dr.Jürg Wendling M.D.
Faubourg du Lac 67, 2502 Biel, Switzerland,
PHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe United Kingdom & Ireland
AREA DIRECTOR: Dr. Ramiro Cali Corleo, M.D.
REGIONAL MANAGER: Christopher Young CertEd
Unit 11, The Courtyard, - Whitwick Business Park,
Stenson Road Coalville LE67 4JP, United Kingdom
PHONE: national 0870 872 8888; Ireland
[phone]; international [phone]
FAX: national 0870 872 5555; Ireland [phone];
international [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Europe Affiliate Organizations
DAN Maldives
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof Alessandro Marroni
MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Guenter Frey, M.D.
Bandos Hyperbaric & Medical Clinic
Bandos Island Resort. Republic of Maldives
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Egypt
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof. Alessandro Marroni
REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Adel Taher, M.D.
Hyperbaric Medical Center
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Israel
AREA DIRECTOR: Prof Alessandro Marroni
REGIONAL DIRECTOR: Mr. Shai Roth
P.o.box 36667, Tel – Aviv, 61366, Israel
FAX:[phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
The other International DAN Organizations
DAN America
Territory: United States and Canada, with regional
IDAN responsibility for Central and South America, the
Caribbean, Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia
(except Fiji), and any other area not designated for the
other DAN entities
PRESIDENT Dr. Michael Curley, M.D.
The Peter B. Bennett Center, 6 West Colony Place,
Durham, NC 27705, USA,
PHONE: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: http://www.diversalertnetwork.org
DAN America - Mexico
DIRECTOR: Dr. Cuauhtemoc Sanchez, M.D.
Indiana 260-907, Col. Nápoles Mexico, D.F. 03710,
PHONE: [phone],
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: http:// www.diversalertnetwork.org
DAN Japan
TERRITORY: Japan Marine Recreation Association
Kowa-Ota-Machi Bldg,2F, 47 Ota-machi 4-Chome
Nakaku, Yokohama City, Kagawa 231-0011 Japan
PHONE: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected].jp
WEBSITE: http://www.danjapan.gr.jp
DAN S.E. Asia-Pacific
TERRITORY: Australia and New Zealand, with regional
IDAN responsibility for Papua New Guinea, Fiji,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands,
Brunei, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, China and Taiwan
DIRECTOR: Mr. John Lippmann
49A Karnak Rd, Ashburton, Victoria 3163, Australia.
POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 384 Ashburton,
Vic. 3147, Australia
PHONE: [phone] - Fax: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: http://www.danseap.org
DAN S.E. Asia Pacific - Philippines
MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Dr. Benjamin G. Luna, Jr.M.
Makati Medical Center; 2 Amorsolo St.;
Makati City 1200; Philippines
PHONE/FAX: [phone] (office hours); or Phone:
[phone] (ask for Ext. 2123; office hours);
E-MAIL: [email protected]
DAN Southern Africa
TERRITORY: Austral Africa, Comoros, Madagascar,
Seychelles Islands, plus Kenya and Zan-zibar (for resi-
dents only, European expatriates refer to DAN Europe)
Director Dr. Frans J. Cronje, M.D.
Private Bag X 197, Halfway House, South Africa 1685
PHONE: [phone] or 2
FAX: [phone]
E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: http://www.dansa.org
Telephone Dialing Guide: the telephone numbers are
inclusive of the international Country code;
omit it when dialing from within the Country.
The numbers in brackets should only be dialed for
national calls and omitted when calling that number
from abroad.
DAN Europe E-mail address list
General [email protected],
Membership [email protected]
Medical [email protected]
Training [email protected]
DAN Europe Sponsor Program [email protected]
Insurance Claims [email protected]
ATTENTION ALL NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS
Please note that the address you supply DAN Europe in
your application/renewal form is considered for all intents
and purposes as your declared place of residence.

EDITORE PUBLISHER
DAN Europe
P.O. Box DAN - 64026 Roseto -Italy
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
DIRETTORE RESPONSABILE EDITOR
Nuccia De Angelis
COLLABORATORI CONTRIBUTORS
Costantino Balestra - Be.Ne.Lux
Ramiro Cali Corleo - Malta
Jordi Desola - España
Ole Hyldegaard - Danmark
Alessandro Marroni - Italia
Ulrich van Laak - Deutschland und Österreich
Jürg Wendling - Suisse
COVER PHOTO
Marco Giuliano
TRADUTTORI TRANSLATORS
Alessandra Carrà - Italiano
Brid Deely - English
Sabine Hoehn - Deutsch
Jerome Hingrat - Français
Marta Jover Cornejo - Español
Els Knaapen- - Nederlands
DAN EUROPE NEWS
Copies: 60.000
DISTRIBUTION:
Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium,
Canada, China R.P., Colombia, Croatia,
Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dan-
mark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel,
Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Leibanon, Liechten-
stein, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta,
Mexico, Nederland, Norway, Oman,
Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, Serbia & Montenegro,
Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Suisse,
Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand,
Turkey, Ukraina, United Arab Emirates,
United Kingdom, U.S.A., Vietnam,
Zanzibar.
E-MAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
http://www.daneurope.org
ART DIRECTOR
Vania Pasqualini - Grafìa
PRINTED BY
Bieffe - Recanati
European version of
SUMMARY
Your dive safety association
DAN EUROPE NEWS N. 2 - 2004
Aut. Trib. Pescara n. 19/91 del 4/2/94
Distribuzione gratuita
4 Editorial
By Dr. Alessandro Marroni
By Frans J Cronje
5 Bulletin Board
6 Medical Line
TOHEIMLICH ORNOT?
DAN Discusses the Pros and Cons of Dealing With
An Unconscious Diver. By Dr. John Williamson
8 Safety Tip
DENGUE ONTHE RISE?
Knowing its carrier, the mosquito, its life cycle and feeding
habits can help diminish chances of infection when you travel
By Edgar Maeyens
12 Safety Tip II
BEWARE OF BITES
When You're Traveling to Risk Areas, Be Cautious
By Edgar Maeyens
14 Health & Fitness
WHY FITNESS?
If it isn't working - what to do instead
By Dr. Jolie Bookspan
18 Feature
CORRECTION OFOPTICAL REFRACTIVE ERRORS
INDIVERS USING OPTICAL MASKS. Part One
By Dr. Antonio Palumbo
22 Training News
GET MORE WITH MO2RE!
By Guy Thomas
PHOTOCONTEST
24 1st - DAN PHOTOCONTEST session 2004
TRANSLATIONS
26 Italiano
34 Deutsch
42 Français
50 Español
59 Nederlands
DAN EUROPE NEWS 3

Editorial
4 DAN EUROPE NEWS
editorial
Dear DAN Europe Members,
International DAN (IDAN)
has just completed one of
its most successful meet-
ings since its inception 14
years ago. IDAN is an
international confederation
of interdependent, but
organizationally
autonomous not for profit
organizations with the
common mission of pro-
Dear DAN Europe Members,
As one of the most vibrant, culturally heterogeneous, and
rapidly expanding areas in the world, we are all delighted
at the opportunity of finding more innovative ways to bet-
ter serve your unique needs.
For many years DAN Europe has actually been an Interna-
tional DAN in its own right. None of the other DAN mem-
ber organizations has had the need to accommodate such
scope and diversity, including regulatory and language
issues. In this DAN Europe has been a leader to all of us,
and many of the initiatives that are being moved to a glob-
al platform are the brain children of your unique organi-
zation.
Although many areas were identified in need of develop-
ment at the recent IDAN meeting, the most important and
tangible areas are these:
1. Developing a single International DAN Hotline call
number that will coordinate emergency calls from divers
and DAN Members from all corners of the world. This
service, in conjunction with the various national and
regional DAN Hotlines and call centers, will ensure that
divers no longer need a variety of access numbers when
traveling abroad. They will be able to rely on a single
access number that can offer them all the assistance they
need -- including communicating with their own regional
DAN.
2. Constructing and integrating a single, global, Medical
Management System, shared by all the DAN Organizations,
to allow for the co-ordinated and integrated management
of international diving emergencies. This system, which is
already partially developed, will include and provide
access to a global registry of Hyperbaric Chambers, Diving
Medical Specialists and Emergency Facilities.
3. Synchronising claims processing and insurance benefit
management, by providing similar features worldwide.
Prof. Alessandro Marroni
President, DAN Europe
IDAN and its respective Member Organizations have
agreed to lay even greater emphasis on coordinating and
harmonising their systems to better serve the recreational
diving community at large and improve diving safety
worldwide.
To provide a specific impetus and focus to this endeavour,
Dr Frans Cronje, President of DAN Southern Africa, accept-
ed the role of IDAN Development Co-ordinator. It is my
pleasure to co-host this editorial with him in the latter
capacity. As you will see, his primary assignment is to
implement the objectives of the strategic plan that was
developed in Cape Town.
We are excited about this important development and look
forward to building DAN together with you -- our valued
DAN members!
Clear Waters to all of you! Dr Alessandro Marroni
President, DAN Europe
Chairman, International DAN
viding assistance to injured recreational divers. Its mem-
bers include DAN Europe as the largest and culturally most
diverse region; DAN America; DAN Japan; DAN Southeast
Asia Pacific and DAN Southern Africa.
The meeting, held in Cape Town, South Africa on March
27-30th, 2004, was aimed at redefining the role of DAN
within the changing world of recreational diving with a
specific focus on integrating the many recent advances in
communication and information technology.
4. Converging and integrating current Diving Research Pro-
grams -- starting with DAN Europe's Dive Safety Laborato-
ry and DAN America's Project Dive Exploration.
5. Collating international
diving injury information
by means of the newly
developed Scuba Epidemi-
ology Research Form.
6. Coordinating, and diver-
sifying the DAN Training
Programs, to allow for
more uniform and consis-
tent training standards and
procedures for DAN Div-
ing Emergency First Aid
training worldwide, and to
simplify procedures to
assist traveling DAN
instructors.
These are but some of the
ways in which we plan to
further improve the unique and already remarkable servic-
es of DAN throughout the world.
We look forward to serving your needs in the years to
come and thank you for your loyal support of DAN.
Frans J Cronje, MD
President of DAN Southern Africa
IDAN Development Co-ordinator
Frans J Cronje, MD
President of DAN
Southern Africa
IDAN Development
Co-ordinator

Bulletin Board
In the afternoon of August 20th, 2003 Claudius
Simon Obermaier from Olching in Germany died
at the age of 27 during a tec-dive in Lake Starnberg
at the wall off Allmannshausen. Claudius was not
a DAN Europe member.
The dive led Claudius and his dive-buddy to a
depth of 82 meters (269 ft.), where they had
planned to survey a wreck. Claudius was an expe-
rienced tec-diver. He was very safety-aware,
knowing of the risks of his sport, that made him
so happy. He frankly spoke of it with his parents,
also about the risks. He knew those risks and was
well-aware of the threshold to danger. At the end
of this inconspicuous survey-dive they ascended a
little sooner than they had planned. At 70 meters
(230 ft.) he came into serious respiratory distress,
which he did not get under control. The two
divers tried to solve the problem together. Soon
Claudius had used up all his breathing gas and lost
consciousness at a depth of 60 meters (197 ft.).
Following these events Claudius sank to the bot-
tom of the wall at 70 meters and drowned. The
lake is up to 112 meters (367 ft.) deep there. His
buddy had been trying to save Claudius until he
had reached the limit of what he could do, but
then had to be treated at the hyperbaric chamber
as a diving emergency himself.
Being certain, that this would have been to his
mind, the parents of Claudius Obermaier decided
to have no flowers and wreaths at their son’s
funeral, but instead asked those attending the
funeral service for a donation for the rescuing and
supporting of diving accident victims. Because of
DAN Europe’s international non-profit mission the
diving accident rescue service of DAN Europe was
to benefit from the donations.
The donations account “Claudius Obermaier”
received a total of 1.245.
Mister Obermaier told us that the family harbours
no resentment against diving. The photo we pub-
DAN AMERICA NEWS
DAN Names Michael D.
Curley As Its President
“My perception of DAN
and its medical services
were positive, shaped by
my recreational scuba
diving experiences over
the past 20 years. It is
noble to provide expert
medical information,
advice and training for
the diving public as a not-for-profit organization.
What also interested me was the potentially chal-
lenging period DAN faced, as it transitions from the
superb leadership of its founder and guiding light,
Dr. Peter Bennett. I know I can help ease the tran-
sition; working together, we will build an even
more capable organization to serve the diver.”
Michael D. Curley, M.D. From 1977-2002, Dr. Cur-
ley was an active duty naval officer. He co-wrote
for publication or helped make more than 100 pre-
sentations; he also penned 20 technical papers for
the Naval Experimental Diving Unit. PADI- and
YMCA-certified in 1976, Dr. Curley has accumulat-
ed more than 200 recreational dives and notes he’s
looking forward to more diving during his tenure
at DAN. “Dr. Curley brings a wealth of experience
and expertise to his position as President and CEO
of DAN America,” said Dan Orr, DAN America VP
and COO. “We are confident that he will lead DAN
into a new era of growth and development in div-
ing medical research and safety. Dr. Curley will help
DAN continue to promote its mission in diving safe-
ty and foster the dissemination of critical informa-
tion as a partner in the global diving community.
On behalf of the DAN staff, we welcome Dr. Cur-
ley and his wife, Elaine, to the DAN family.”
DAN EUROPE
BALKANS NEWS
1. HOTLINE 24/7: [phone].
The number is operational since 3 years, and has
already managed many calls –some just asking for
advice, but some about real diving emergencies. In
many cases this hotline also served as the first con-
tact fro Balkan Divers travelling abroad, who felt
more confident due to language difficulties.
2. REFFERAL CENTERS AND DOCTORS IN THE
BALKAN AREA
Montenegro
Naval Institute and Hyperbaric Center, Meljine,
Montenegro. Director: Dr Marko Runje, DMO Dr
Slobodan Buric.Officer in charge 24/7 [phone]
901 (Only Serbian)
Dr Marko Savovski - Anea Medical Group - E-mail:
[email protected]
Belgrade
Center fo Hyperbaric Medicine – CHM. +381 11
666 683. Prof. Petrovic, Dr Trajkovic
Dr Dusan Micevic - HBO Unit, Military hospital,
Belgrade. Cell phone: [phone]
Dr Bozica Suzic Todorovic- HBO Monoplace Unit,
Republic Institute for sport medicine.
Cell phone: [phone]
THE CLAUDIUS-OBERMAIER-FUND
AT DAN EUROPE
lished here shows the enthusiastic tec-diver
Claudius Obermaier. On the back of the snapshot
his parents wrote: You did not pass away from us,
but before us.
As the director of the DAN Europe Area Germany,
I was indeed very touched that the parents of the
victim of a fatal diving accident called for ear-
marked donations to the benefit of the interna-
tional assistance in diving accidents. I was particu-
larly happy - why should it be any different? - that
the president of DAN Europe, professor Alessan-
dro Marroni M.D., was immediately open to the
idea of establishing a DAN Europe Fund to sup-
port divers who, after a dive accident, find them-
selves in needy circumstances. For a DAN Europe
membership provides us with the possibility of
first-class management, even if the whole thing
costs a lot. More and more often non-members,
too, contact us in diving emergencies. In such
cases DAN Europe can unfortunately only help
these divers obtain the necessary management at
their own expense. More and more often this
causes financial problems.
The new DAN Europe Claudius-Obermaier-Fund
will be managed by a committee, entitled to grant
assistance to be paid from the available funds in
justified cases of financial plight.
It goes without saying, that the fund can in no way
be a substitute for a DAN Europe membership.
Utilization of the new fund will have to be gov-
erned by strict rules, but will nevertheless open up
new possibilities in individual, justified cases.
Dr. Ulrich van Laak
Director DAN Europe Area Germany, Austria,
Hungary