has always been very helpful in our discussion
in the Netherlands as well, and I am convinced
that this Report is used in many other countries
also in this respect. I think that everyone
working in hyperbaric medicine should have a
copy of that Report.
Personally the year 2003 was my last year as
medical director of the Academic Medical
Center in Amsterdam. I retired at the end of that
year, but I still work with the Board on various
projects. The age of 63 is far too young to stop
working of course. We have many examples of
that in our hyperbaric community. Fortunately,
the Presidency of the ECHM and the ICHM
still ask my time.
Last but not least I wish to remind you of the
Consensus Conference on Acute and Chronic
Indications, that will be held in Lille in
December 2004; "Lille 2004" so to speak. We
will look at what we have reached in the last ten
years after the first Consensus Conference of
the ECHM in Lille 1994. Before that meeting
the results will be presented of the multicenter
and also "multicountry" randomised
prospective trial on hyperbaric oxygen in the
treatment of the diabetic foot. This project was
sponsored by the European Community as a
COST B 14 action.
I am convinced that it is very worthwhile to
come to Lille on December 1-4, 2004. I hope
that I will see many of you there.
Dirk Jan Bakker
Executive Director
International Congress
On Hyperbaric Medicine
Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
President's Message
(Continued from Page 1)
EUBS, in 1983. We feel sure that those who
attended have good memories of it.
We have learnt a lot since then and we have
grown a little. This time we will be offering you
a combination of three factors : a high-level
scientific meeting, a good program of leisure
activities for after conference hours, and some
unique cultural opportunities. Barcelona is a
typical example of Mediterranean culture, and
is thus a perfect setting to mix all these
activities.
Some of the most important societies or
institutions in the field of both underwater and
hyperbaric medicine will also have Satellite
Meetings, congress, or workshops. These will
include the European Committee for
Hyperbaric Medicine (ECHM), the Congreso
Latinoamericano de Medicina Hiperbarica
Subacutica (an UHMS chapter), and possibly
the High Pressure Biology Symposium, the
Medical Commission of the European Diving
& Technology Committee (EDTC), among
others.
An International Course on Hyperbaric
Medicine will be organized during the week
before the conference, and some workshops
and symposia will be offered as well in the
surrounding dates.
The second announcement, and first call for
papers, will be distributed by the fourth
trimester of 2004. The deadline for abstracts
presentation will be March 2005. All activities
will be Internet-based : no written-paper sheets
or abstract forms will be distributed.
However we will not be limited strictly to
medicine. We will offer you a daily lecture
and/or exhibition about history, literature,
music, and other interesting cultural activities.
Fall 2004
Page 4
HBO Congress
ICHM Website: www.ichm.net
Secretariat E-Mail: fcramer@xit.net
