Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33761542›Full record

ArticleDiving and hyperbaric medicine2021

Does persistent (patent) foramen ovale closure reduce the risk of recurrent decompression sickness in scuba divers?

Björn Edvinsson, Ulf Thilén, Niels Erik Nielsen, Christina Christersson, Mikael Dellborg, Peter Eriksson, Joanna Hlebowicz

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Diving and hyperbaric medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Decompression illness: a comprehensive overview.Diving and hyperbaric medicine · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Björn EdvinssonDepartment of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Science, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Ulf ThilénDepartment of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Science, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Niels Erik NielsenDepartment of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Science, University Hospital Linköping, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Christina ChristerssonDepartment of Medical Sciences, Cardiology Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Mikael DellborgDepartment of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Science, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Peter ErikssonDepartment of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Science, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Joanna HlebowiczDepartment of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Science, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionInteratrial communication is associated with an increased risk of decompression sickness (DCS) in scuba diving. It has been proposed that there would be a decreased risk of DCS after closure of the interatrial communication, i.e., persistent (patent) foramen ovale (PFO). However, the clinical evidence supporting this is limited.

methodsMedical records were reviewed to identify Swedish scuba divers with a history of DCS and catheter closure of an interatrial communication. Thereafter, phone interviews were conducted with questions regarding diving and DCS. All Swedish divers who had had catheter-based PFO-closure because of DCS were followed up, assessing post-closure diving habits and recurrent DCS.

resultsNine divers, all with a PFO, were included. Eight were diving post-closure. These divers had performed 6,835 dives (median 410, range 140-2,200) before closure, and 4,708 dives (median 413, range 11-2,000) after closure. Seven cases with mild and 10 with serious DCS symptoms were reported before the PFO closure. One diver with a small residual shunt suffered serious DCS post-closure; however, that dive was performed with a provocative diving profile.

conclusionDivers with PFO and DCS continue to dive after PFO closure and this seems to be fairly safe. Our study suggests a conservative diving profile when there is a residual shunt after PFO closure, to prevent recurrent DCS events.

Indexed as

Decompression SicknessDivingForamen OvaleForamen Ovale, PatentHumansDecompression illnessRight-to-left shuntRiskScuba divingTrimixVenous gas embolism

Identifiers

PMID33761542
PMCPMC8313773

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.