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In a first aid class tonight we touched on seizures. The emphasis was on epileptic seizures occurring on dry land, but at some point the discussion turned to seizures that might occur underwater among individuals who either didn't know they were at risk or who screwed up and were breathing too high a PO2 and toxed. Basically everybody agreed the biggest risk here is drowning and not the seizure itself, but in response to questions about the proper response things were less clear -- initially most people said they thought the buddy should bring the victim to the surface as soon as they recognize what's happening, but one guy raised the issue of lung expansion injuries that could occur if the victim's airway was closed. He said he'd asked DAN about it at some point, and they recommended waiting until the seizures subsided before surfacing. So, what's the right answer? Is a seizure victim's airway likely to close? If so, does it stay blocked throughout the entire seizure or is it just intermittent? Is it best to wait, immediately ascend slowly, or immediately ascend quickly? I'm guessing it would be intermittent and that an immediate slow ascent is the proper response, but I'd really rather know than guess! References or an explanation would be most appreciated. Thanks... - Todd
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