High-risk patent foramen ovale was independently associated with an increased risk for PFO-related decompression illness in scuba divers (OR 9.34; 95% CI 1.95-44.88).
Cohort (n=100)
Blinded to exposure status and blinded adjudication
No
Does high-risk patent foramen ovale increase the risk of decompression illness in experienced scuba divers?
In experienced scuba divers, the presence of a high-risk patent foramen ovale is associated with a significantly increased risk of decompression illness.
Odds Ratio: 9.34 (95% CI 1.95–44.88)
p-value: p== 0.001
BACKGROUND: In previous studies, the prevalence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been reported to be higher in scuba divers who experienced decompression illness (DCI) than in those who did not. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between PFO and DCI in scuba divers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary cardiac center in South Korea. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred experienced divers from 13 diving organizations who did more than 50 dives per year. MEASUREMENTS: Participants had transesophageal echocardiography with a saline bubble test to determine the presence of a PFO and were subsequently divided into high- and low-risk groups. They were followed using a self-reported questionnaire while blinded to their PFO status. All of the reported symptoms were adjudicated in a blinded manner. The primary end point of this study was PFO-related DCI. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine the odds ratio of PFO-related DCI. RESULTS: = 0.001) during a mean follow-up of 28.7 months. Multivariable analysis showed that high-risk PFO was independently associated with an increased risk for PFO-related DCI (odds ratio, 9.34 95% CI, 1.95 to 44.88). LIMITATION: The sample size was insufficient to assess the association between low-risk PFO and DCI. CONCLUSION: High-risk PFO was associated with an increased risk for DCI in scuba divers. This finding indicates that divers with high-risk PFO are more susceptible to DCI than what has been previously reported and should consider either refraining from diving or adhering to a conservative diving protocol. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Sejong Medical Research Institute.
Lee et al. (Sat,) conducted a cohort in Decompression illness (n=100). High-risk patent foramen ovale (PFO) vs. Low-risk PFO was evaluated on PFO-related DCI (OR 9.34, 95% CI 1.95 to 44.88, p== 0.001). High-risk patent foramen ovale was independently associated with an increased risk for PFO-related decompression illness in scuba divers (OR 9.34; 95% CI 1.95-44.88).