What is the ICHM?

The ICHM is a world-wide organization for physicians and scientists interested in all aspects of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. The organization has minimal formal structure and is entirely dedicated to hosting an international scientific congress every three years with the purpose improving understanding among the international hyperbaric community.

ICHM COMMITTEE (2008 – 2011):

President: Dr. Frans Cronje MBChB, MSc

Executive Director: Dr. Alessandro Marroni

Secretary: A/Prof Michael Bennett MD, FANZCA

Correspondence to:

Michael Bennett
C/- Dept. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine
Level 1, Prince of Wales Hospital
Barker St, Randwick
NSW 2031
m.bennett@unsw.edu.au

Some History

The First International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine was held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1963 under the auspices of the University of Amsterdam cardiac surgeon and Founding President, Professor Boerema (more below).

The Second Congress convened in Glasgow, Scotland the following year (1964) with President Ledingham presiding. The Third Congress was held in 1965 in Durham, North Carolina, USA under the leadership of President Brown from Duke University.

The Congress moved for the first time to Japan in 1969, under a new four year timetable which was felt to be more appropriate for a major international meeting. President Wasa presided over the Fourth Congress in Sapporo, Japan in 1969. The Fifth Congress was held in 1973 in Vancouver, Canada under the leadership of President Trapp. The Sixth Congress returned to Scotland and met in Aberdeen under President Smith in 1977. The Seventh Congress was held in Moscow, Russia in 1981 under the supervision and guidance of President Yefuni. At the Seventh Congress the Governors decided to initiate a three-year schedule, due to the increasing worldwide interest in the field of clinical hyperbaric medicine.

On the new schedule, the Eighth Congress was held in Long Beach, California, USA in 1984 with President Jacobsen presiding. The Ninth Congress was convened in Sydney, Australia under the leadership of President Unsworth in 1987. During the Sydney Congress, the Foundation for the International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine was officially chartered. The founding members of the Foundation are: Dr Unsworth, Australia; Dr. Bakker, The Netherlands; Dr. Marroni, Italy; Dr. Takahashi, Japan and Dr. Cramer, United States of America.

The purpose and goal of the Foundation is to promote the triennial Congress and improve understanding among the international hyperbaric medicine community.

The Tenth Congress was held in 1990 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands as a Joint Meeting with the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and the European Underwater Baromedical Society (EUBS) [Insert link to EUBS]. President Bakker convened the meeting as the Congress returned to it's birthplace 27 years ago. The Eleventh Congress met in Fuzhou, China under the leadership of President Li in 1993. Fuzhou is the birthplace of HBO in China and the home of Professor Li. The Twelfth Congress was convened in Milan, Italy as a Joint Meeting with EUBS, under the direction of President Marroni in 1996.  The 13th Congress was held in Kobe, Japan under the direction of Professor Takahashi in 1999. The 14th Congress was held in San Francisco under the direction of President Cramer in 2002. President Desola hosted the 15th Congress in Barcelona, Spain in 2005. In the most recent Congress to date, the ICHM returned to China – this time in Beijing 2008.

The ICHM today

The future of the International Congress is secure. The Foundation has a total of 89 Life Members who form the backbone of the organization. Each Life Member supports the goal of the Foundation, both philosophically and financially.

Communication among the members is through the the peer-reviewed medical journal “Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine” [Insert link www.dhmjournal.com]. This EMBASE and ISI listed journal is the official journal of the EUBS and South Pacific Undersea Medicine Society, as well as the ICHM. The journal welcomes submissions from any member of ICHM.

In addition, the Proceedings of each Congress are published in hard cover – arrangements vary from meeting to meeting. The Foundation is pleased to announce that these books are available for each Congress since 1984, although the first seven Proceedings are out of print. The Foundation has embarked upon the republishing of the early Proceedings, beginning with the First Congress in 1963.

The next Congress will be held in Cape Town, South Africa in 2011 and the 18^th Congress is scheduled for Scandinavia in 2014.

The headquarters of the Foundation for the International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine is permanently located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands under the guidance of Dirk Bakker, Executive Director. The Secretariat is located in Sydney, Australia with Associate Professor Michael Bennett [email m.bennett@unsw.edu.au) as the Secretary-Treasurer. Further information may be obtained by writing:

International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine
Dept of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine
Level 1, Prince of Wales Hospital
Barker St
Randwick, NSW 2031
Australia

Professor Ita Boerema – Founding President of the ICHM

Dr. Boerema was a cardiac surgeon at the University of Amsterdam, and he conceived the idea that babies with congenital heart disease (blue babies) could be treated in a pressurized chamber and ventilated with 100% oxygen. This would serve to "drench" the tissues with oxygen; thereby allowing the heart to be stopped while the abnormality, such as an atrial septal defect, could be repaired under direct vision.¹

Professor Boerema and his team were the first in the world to treat Clostridial Myonecrosis (Gas Gangrene) with adjuvant Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO).² using an experimental pig, he also published the first clear demonstration of the ability of HBO at 3 atmospheres absolute (ATA) to dissolve sufficient oxygen in the blood to maintain tissue oxygenation, even in the complete absence of circulating functional red blood cells. This study was published in an international surgical journal entitled "Life without blood".³

Largely as a direct result of his efforts, the international medical community became very enthusiastic about this new concept of treating sick patients with HBO. Heretofore, the only applications of HBO were to treat diving complications such as Decompression Illness (DCI) and Air Embolism (AE) as described by Workman and the U.S. Navy in 1965.

The field of clinical hyperbaric medicine owes a great deal to this pioneer of the rational use of pressurised oxygen in a hospital setting. For more details, interested readers are referred to Dick Clarke’s excellent review of the history of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine.⁴

References

1.      Boerema I et al. Observations during operation on deeply cyanotic young children breathing oxygen at three atmospheres absolute. Pediatric Surgery 1962;52:796-799.

2.      Brummelkamp WH et al. Treatment of anaerobic infections (clostridial myositis) by drenching the tissues with oxygen under high atmospheric pressure. Surgery 1961;49:299-302.

3.      Boerema I et al. Life without blood (a study of the influence of high atmospheric pressure and hypothermia on dilution of the blood). Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 1960;1:133-146.

4.      Clarke D. History of hyperbaric medicine. In: Physiology and Medicine of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, 1^st ed. Neuman T, Thom S eds, Saunders, Philadelphia 2008:3-23.

The International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine is a USA tax-exempt non-profit IRS code 501.c.3 organization.
The financial statement is available by request to the treasurer at fscramer2000@yahoo.com