#165 | Jeroen MG Van Haudt | Freediving Medic

Jeroen is from Belgium. He is a passionate health-care provider working as an intensive care unit nurse, with a love for technical innovation, teaching and diving, and a former business owner in composites resins 3D-shaping for the nautical and entertainment industry.

Jeroen is perhaps best known to us in the freediving community in his role as freediving medic in some of the biggest freediving competitions in the world. 
Today’s discussion is a wide-ranging and thorough exploration of freediving medical safety. 

In this episode we discuss:

Jeroen is a freediver, intensive care unit nurse and freediving medic.
He also organises safety in a water stage movie studio in Brussels, working with some famous actors.
Prospecting the dive location.
Dealing with therapeutic use exemptions of drugs that could be detected on a doping test.
Rescue protocols for certain incidents.
The use of the pulse oximeter to detect problems in the diver. 
Following up with athletes and incident reporting.
Doing scientific research, gathering information during competition periods.
Specific rescue protocols for black outs and squeezes / barotraumas, etc.
Most divers do not respond to the ‘Blow Tap Talk’ protocol after an underwater black out.
Training the other members of the freediving safety team.
The authority to stop the competition.
What is DCI (Decompression Illness)
Decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism (AGE). What is the difference?
How are these conditions treated?
The hot topic of in-water recompression as treatment.
There are no guaranteed safe decompression tables.
The use of breathing oxygen in-water after deep dives as a preventative measure to prevent DCI and as general recovery.
Shout out to the Patreon supporters and thanks for contributing your questions.
An example of the individual nature of symptoms DCI cases.
Some examples of difficult decisions being made: Hanako Hirose, Petar Klovar
What is oedema?
The responsibilities of the freediving governing bodies to do better for the safety of the athletes.
What is a PFO (patent foramen ovale)?
Questions from Patreon supporters Tom, and Racso and Sean.
Should you ever dive alone?
Why does he freedive?

For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com

For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

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