EXTENTION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 4 (Friday) Noon PST with NO extension FEE
please use the WORD form and submit to scientificcommittee@uhms.org




CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

2008 UHMS ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING
Thursday 26 June –  Saturday 28 June, 2008
Marriott Downtown Salt Lake City, UT

ONLINE SUBMISSION (preferred)      WORD      PDF


DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: FEBRUARY 25, 2008 

Any questions, please email scientificcommittee@uhms.org

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
Online submission is preferred.  However, abstracts may be submitted by email to scientificcommittee@uhms.org. Please follow the formatting and submission guidelines below.  If any of the submission requirements are not met, your abstract submission may be returned for modification, or declined.  You should hear of your acceptance no later than April 10, 2008.  Deadline for submissions is February 25, 2008.  Future communication will be by email.

All abstracts must be presented in poster format, without exception.  In addition, presenters may be invited to present an abstract orally in the general meeting, resident’s/trainee competition (if eligible), or in the Associates session (if eligible).

All abstracts for poster or oral presentation accepted by the UHMS Program Committee for presentation at the annual meeting and all oral presentations (including PowerPoint slides) and posters (in PowerPoint/PDF format) may be published by the Society in print or various electronic media for use as the Society sees fit.

Submission of an abstract for consideration for presentation at the annual meeting will be considered as providing consent for the Society to use the materials presented in whole or in part in print or various electronic media.

DEADLINE DATE FOR SUBMISSION:  FEBRUARY 25, 2008  
  
CHANGES to your abstract:  If you require any changes to your abstract/poster after acceptance, you will be charged a fee of $50.00.  The fee will be waived if UHMS is the one requesting the change.

EXTENSION: If you need to request a submittal extension, a fee of $75.00 will apply, You will be invoiced.  Extension deadline is  March 25, 2008. 

NO CHANGES or SUBMISSIONS will be accepted after  April 10, 2008. 

NO WITHDRAWALS  “All abstracts for poster or oral presentation accepted by the UHMS Program Committee for presentation at the annual meeting and all oral presentations (including PowerPoint slides) and posters (in PowerPoint/PDF format) may be published by the Society in print or various electronic media for use as the Society sees fit. Submission of an abstract for consideration for presentation at the annual meeting will be considered as providing consent for the Society to use the materials presented in whole or in part in print or various electronic media.” 

ABSTRACT FORMATTING GUIDELINES (sample abstracts below)
Language – All abstracts are to be written in English.
The Program Committee reserves the right to alter abstracts where the English structure makes comprehension difficult. Abstract Body Format

  • Must be 300 words or less, exclusive of title, author(s) names, and institutional affiliation(s).  
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format  
  • Only text and text tables will be accepted. NO graphs or images may be submitted.  
  • Contents should include the following sections:  
    • Introduction / Background 
    • Materials and Methods  
    • Results  
    • Summary / Conclusions 


MAILING INSTRUCTIONS
1.              Preferred method of submission: Via webform – CLICK HERE.  You will be notified of the 
                 receipt of your abstract, if you do not get an email within one week of submittal, please resubmit.
2.              Mail CD or Disk along with hardcopy to: UHMS, 21 West Colony Place, Suite 280, Durham, NC 27705
3.              Email abstract to scientificcommittee@uhms.org

__________________________________________________________
   
SAMPLE ABSTRACT 1

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HEADACHE ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING 
Hampson  NB  ,   Hampson LA.  Hyperbaric Medicine Department,   Virginia  Mason  Medical  Center  ,   Seattle ,  Washington . 

INTRODUCTION:  Headache is the most commonly reported symptom in acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.  It is often described as throbbing and diffuse, however, a systematic characterization of  CO-associated headache has never been published.  This study examines the characteristics of CO-associated headache to determine whether any typical pattern exists which might prove useful in the diagnosis of CO exposure.

MATERIALS  AND METHODS:  Patients referred for hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment of acute CO poisoning were asked whether headache was part of their symptom complex.  When present, specific details about the nature of the headache were collected from 100 consecutive patients through use of a standardized questionnaire.

RESULTS:  Information on acute CO-associated headache was collected from 34 female and 66 male patients with mean carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) 21.3+9.3%.  The most common sources of CO were motor vehicles (31), forklifts (23), or furnaces (11).  Poisonings were accidental in 81%.  The most common location for pain was frontal (66%), although more than one location was involved in 58%.  Nature of the pain at any time during its course was dull in 72% and sharp in 36%.   Headache was throbbing in 41%.  Pain was continuous in 74% and intermittent in 16%.   Peak intensity of pain did not correlate with COHb level.   Symptoms commonly associated with headache included dizziness, lightheadedness, weakness, and nausea.  Headache improved prior to HBO2 treatment in 72%, resolving entirely in 21%.  Of those with residual headache, pain improved with HBO2 in 97%, resolving entirely in 44%.

CONCLUSIONS:  The headache accompanying acute CO poisoning is extremely variable in nature.   "Classic" throbbing diffuse headaches were rarely described by patients.  There are no patterns which can be considered characteristic to aid in the diagnosis of CO-induced headache.  Similarly, no trait was identified which might allow elimination of CO poisoning from the differential diagnosis of headache. 
  
Suggested category: HBO Clinical
Authorizations: a) Y  b) Y 
Financial disclosure: a) N  b) N  c) nil d) N
CV: brief 
  
SAMPLE ABSTRACT 2

SERUM S-100b AS A MARKER OF NEUROLOGICAL EVENTS IN GOATS FOLLOWING DIRECT DECOMPRESSION IN A SIMULATED DISABLED SUBMARINE SCENARIO  
Jurd KM,  Parmar K*, Seddon FM,  Loveman GAM, Blogg SL, Thacker JC, Stansfield  MRD , White MG, Hunt BJ*.  Protection and Performance Dept, DERA Alverstoke,   Gosport ,   UK  .  * Dept Haematology, Guys and   St Thomas  ' Hospital Trust,   London ,  UK  .

BACKGROUND: S100b is a glial protein used as a marker of cerebral damage in a number of clinical situations. Neurological decompression illness ( DCI ) is a major risk following rapid decompression  to the surface in a disabled submarine (DISSUB) scenario if recompression facilities are unavailable. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of  S-100b in goats under simulated DISSUB conditions where neurological  DCI   may occur.

METHODS: Adult female or castrated male goats (35-75 kg) underwent dry chamber air saturation between 55 and 85 fsw for 24 h followed by rapid decompression at 0.9 bar/min (n=37). Gross neurological involvement was determined by clinical assessment and post mortem examination.  Venous blood samples were taken pre-dive and at 5, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180 and 240 mins post surfacing.  S-100b was measured in serial samples by immunoluminometric assay.

RESULTS:  Neurological  DCI was mainly evident in the goats which had undergone the deeper profiles.  A greater percentage of animals undergoing these deeper profiles also had increased levels of  S-100b compared to pre-dive values. The percentage of animals at each depth with raised S100b increased from 0% at 55 fsw to 100% at 85 fsw.  Increases in levels of S100b were evident at 5 or 30 mins in most cases, with levels continuing to rise for at least 120 mins.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that S100b is raised in goats following "rapid decompression" from air saturation at depths below 55 fsw.  S100b may be useful as a marker of cerebral events in neurological  DCI .  
BritishCrown Copyright 2001
Published with the permission of DERA on behalf of the controller HMSO 
  
Suggested category: Decompression Illness 
Authorizations:    a) Y  b) Y 
Financial disclosure*: a) Y, b) Y, Manufacturer ILA Co. (Immunoluminometric Assay).  Lead author is owner of 
                company.  NOTE: *fictitious, created as an example only ,  c) Y, mm/dd/yyyy
CV: brief