CHAPTER IX 



MEDICAL SUPPORT PROGRAM 



Edward L. Beckman, M.D. 



Marine Biomedical Institute 



University of Texas Medical Branch 



and Texas A&M 



Richard G. Masson, M.D. 

 U. S. Public Health Service 



Elizabeth M. Smith 

 Consultant to Marine Biomedical Institute 



ABSTRACT 



This report describes the organization, responsibilities, 

 observations, and conclusions of the medical program. Included 

 are descriptions of the staff, training requirements, physical 

 facilities, examination and decompression procedures, the devel- 

 opment of new decompression tables, and a review of some problems 

 faced. In general it can be said that no serious medical problems 

 were encountered. Of 915 man-days in the habitat, only 13 man- 

 days in the water were lost because of medical reasons. A brief 

 discussion of non-diving medical problems is included, 



BACKGROUND 



After the proposed TEKTITE II program was approved by the Department of the 

 Interior, a medical program was proposed to the Sea Grant Program of the 

 National Science Foundation that would provide medical surveillance during the 

 project. Inasmuch as TEKTITE II could provide a platform for training doctors 

 in underwater medicine, NSF was in the position of offering its backing for a 

 project designed to provide such training. To this end, the Sea Grant Program 

 contributed $124,000, with one-half matching funds being contributed by the 

 University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston) . 



Medical responsibility for the program was assigned to the UT Medical Branch. 

 Edward L. Beckman of that university and of the Marine Biomedical Institute 

 (jointly sponsored by the University of Texas and Texas A&M University) was 

 named Medical Director of TEKTITE II. 



MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSIBILITIES 



Medical Advisory Board 



Soon after the inception of TEKTITE II, the Medical Advisory Board was set up 

 at the request of the designated Medical Director. Board membership included: 



1. Edward L. Beckman, M.D. (Chairman) 



2. Richard G. Masson, Senior Assistant Surgeon, United States 

 Public Health Service, Deputy Medical Director, TEKTITE II. 



IX-1 



