Doctor details 'frightening' decision to sedate Thai soccer boys

[left-of-center2012]

“It was an estimate to start with and the first child was an experiment in a way and so it was a good guess with a lot of advice from a lot of other specialists,” anesthesiologist Richard Harris told reporters after a ceremony at Government House, Canberra, Australia where he and his dive buddy Dr. Craig Challen, a retired veterinarian, received the Star of Courage, the second-highest civilian bravery honor in Australia.

Harris, 53, sedated the 12 soccer teammates and their 25-year-old coach before they embarked on their perilous journey out of the Tham Luang cave, where they were trapped by floodwaters on June 23 and found nine days later.

The doctor said Tuesday that he consulted with several specialists in Thailand and Australia before deciding how much of the medication to administer in efforts to prevent the group from panicking. “I’ve never done it in the back of a cave on malnourished, skinny, dehydrated Thai kids before, so that for me was the most frightening part of the week,” Harris added.

Asked what would have been the consequences if he had got the sedation wrong, Harris said: “A poorer outcome than we got.” ... the first boy to emerge from the cavern alive gave him hope.

“The first boy came through and he was still alive and still breathing — that was one of the best moments,” Challen said.

https://nypost.com/2018/07/24/doctor-details-frightening-decision-to-sedate-thai-soccer-boys/

[lapfog_1]

1. Before the rescue... I posted that this was something I wouldn't do

However... I based this on a number of things that were described in the press (not always accurate).

First. There were descriptions by the British divers that found the boys that some fully submerged passages were so tight that the divers had to remove their tanks (normally on your back) and push them ahead of themselves to squeeze through the passage and that these tight passages went on for some distance. They fixed this problem by reducing the water in the cave system using temporary dams above the cave system and by pumping out quite a bit of water in the flooded section. Second is that I watched video of them enlarging the passage way to allow for the rescue diver to get through by strapping each kid to their chest / belly and then either swim/pull themselves or have a diver ahead of them pull the combined rescue diver/kid/air thanks through the passage... Excellent choice. This allowed for the kids to be mostly out of it for the rescue dive. That's a big difference than the kids having to be trained in diving operation for a dangerous cave dive and try to exit using their own power and, most importantly, wits to get them out. I worried that without a doctor present to administer the drug (2.5 miles into a cave system) that any kid with a bad reaction to the drug would die.. not to mention the dangers of overdose and malnutrition, etc.

And, lastly, I fall back on my own experience as a Cave diver, dive master, dive instructor... I would never allow people to go diving on my watch who were high or even slightly inebriated... diving, especially cave diving, is one of the more dangerous sports "anyone" can do. When I was a dive master I saved the lives of at least 3 people in the year I was taking groups on "recreational" dives of no more than 60 to 100 feet, mostly daytime, always open water (I did cave diving, but I never took any group cave diving or even wreck diving).

Still, I apologize to the poster that suggested giving the boys anti-panic medication. And I am very happy for the outcome. Obviously, armchair quarterbacking the operation from thousands of miles away is not my strong suit. I wonder what decision I would have made had I been one of the consulting rescue divers on site. I guess I'll never know.

What they accomplished was, in the words of the british divers, brilliant.

That said, it did cost the life of one of the brave rescue divers who was attempting to make the passage safer in the days leading up to the rescue... we should never forget that heroism.

[librechik]

3. Yes, brilliant

Maybe even useful for future rescues. Hope it never happens again

[Wounded Bear]

4. They had a lot of experts from around the world there...

between that and the publicity, I think the word will get out for future use if necessary.

Hopefully not necessary as you say, but this is valuable experience and knowledge for rescue divers everywhere.

[iluvtennis]

2. Wow. Without the sedation, things might not have turned out so well for the boys. Thank

the Lord for medical technology.

[Kittycow]

5. I saw some interesting videos about many locals praying to the Cave Spirit.

They had ceremonies and gorgeous offerings of fresh food and flowers every day. They also apologized to Her for offending her.

They credited Her on the spiritual level for the kids coming out.

[left-of-center2012]

6. "many locals praying to the Cave Spirit"

Last edited Wed Jul 25, 2018, 09:33 AM - Edit history (1)

Strange,
as they (Thais) are predominantly Theravada Buddhists.

[Kittycow]

7. I don't know if their religion was identified.

I think it was from a Canadian news station that I saw on YouTube.

I'll go back and see if I can can find it again.

ETA: it was the BBC. I googled it under "offerings to Cave Spirit in Thai cave rescue" and the video and a bunch of articles come up.

Sorry to not be more forthcoming but I'm having kidney stone removal surgery today and can't concentrate that well.