Page 3 - Newsletter EBAss

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Vote for new President

by Valeria Campanaro, President of EBAss

The time has come to vote for our new President!!
After 5 years of significant work and input to our Association the time has come
for Mrs Valeria Campanaro (IT) to step back from the position of the President. At
the next General Assembly in Rome all members have the right to vote for a new
President. We hope that the new President will continue the work that has been
made all previous years with great dedication and interest. As well, he should get
as much support needed in order to face new challenges and grow EBAss even
more by keeping its activities and goals at the same high level. Let’s believe that
Valeria will continue serve EBAss with her great experience and interest from any
position see may choose.

Membership status
EBAss has currently active members from 13 European countries and
3 from non-European countries.
The total number of individual full member registrations for the previous year was
118. All of them are “physical” persons who work as part of the baromedical staff
in a hyperbaric centre, mainly nurses, operators and technicians. Membership
also includes associate members such as Hyperbaric Centres and companies that
are related to the hyperbaric industry as well as honorary members.

Hyperbaric News

from Europe and around the world
Revision of the ECHM accepted indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The tenth European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine took place in Lille, France, 14-16 April, 2016, attended by
a large delegation of experts from Europe and elsewhere. The focus of the meeting was the revision of the
European Committee on Hyperbaric Medicine (ECHM) list of accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen
treatment (HBOT), based on a thorough review of the best available research and evidence-based medicine
(EBM). For this scope, the modified GRADE system for evidence analysis, together with the DELPHI system
for consensus evaluation, were adopted. The indications for HBOT, including those promulgated by the
ECHM previously, were analyzed by selected experts, based on an extensive review of the literature and of
the available EBM studies.
The indications were divided as follows:
Type 1, where HBOT is strongly indicated as a primary treatment method, as it is supported by sufficiently strong evidence;
Type 2, where HBOT is suggested as it is supported by acceptable levels of evidence;
Type 3, where HBOT can be considered as a possible/optional measure, but it is not yet supported by sufficiently strong
evidence. For each type, three levels of evidence were considered:
A, when the number of randomised controlled trials (RCT) is considered sufficient;
B, when there are some RCT studies in favour of the indication and there is ample expert consensus;
C, when the conditions do not allow for proper RCT studies but there is ample and international expert consensus.