title: Consensus guidelines for the use of ultrasound for diving research.
abstract: The International Meeting on Ultrasound for Diving Research produced expert consensus recommendations for ultrasound detection of vascular gas bubbles and the analysis, interpretation and reporting of such data. Recommendations for standardization of techniques to allow comparison between studies included bubble monitoring site selection, frequency and duration of monitoring, and use of the Spencer, Kisman-Masurel or Eftedal-Brubakk scales. Recommendations for reporting of results included description of subject posture and provocation manoeuvres during monitoring, reporting of untransformed data and the appropriate use of statistics. These guidelines are available from www.dhmjournal.com.
authors.affiliation: NTNU, Medical Faculty, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, P O Box 8905, 7491 Trondheim, Norway, E-mail: andreas.mollerlokken@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Møllerløkken
authors.affiliation: SLB Consulting, Winton, Cumbria, UK.
authors.forename: S Lesley
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Blogg
authors.affiliation: US Navy Experimental Diving Unit, Panama City, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Doolette
authors.affiliation: Defence Research and Development Canada - Toronto (retired), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ronald Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.affiliation: Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, Divers Alert Network, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Neal W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Pollock
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D002568:Certification / Q000592:standards; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004242:Diving; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000592:standards; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000592:standards; D018579:Patient Selection; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D012306:Risk; D012449:Safety / Q000592:standards; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards
keywords: Doppler; bubbles; cardiovascular; decompression illness; diving research; echocardiography; meetings; review article; right-to-left shunt