GUIDELINES FOR TREATMENT OF DECOMPRESSION ILLNESS

Three years ago, the Executive Director of the Aerospace Medical Assoc iation (AsMA) and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) m et to discuss prospects for a joint workshop on a topic of general int erest to the members of both organizations. It was agreed that the top ic would be the treatment of decompression illness (DCI) to include no t only the latest in hyperbaric therapy, but also adjunctive therapeut ic modalities such as fluids, steroids, and anti-coagulants. Subsequen tly the workshop, co-chaired by Richard E. Moon, M.D. (UHMS) and Paul J. Sheffield, Ph.D. (AsMA) convened in West Palm Beach, FL. It was att ended by over 100 participants from 13 countries, each of whom brought a wide range of experience in the management of DCI. The result of th e proceedings was a 426-page scholarly, well-referenced monograph enti tled ''Treatment of Decompression Illness.'' In order to provide pract itioners and scientists with a more concise version of the monograph, we are pleased to publish in this issue of the journal an abbreviated article prepared by Drs. Moon and Sheffield. However, we would encoura ge those of you with a particular interest in DCI to purchase a copy o f the full report-it is truly excellent. You can obtain your copy of ' 'Treatment of Decompression Illness'' by writing to the AsMA Home Offi ce (Attn: Ms. Blaher) and remitting payment of $50, which includes han dling and postage.