What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed 128 patients who received HBOT at a hospital in Indonesia between 2017 and 2020 to document which conditions were actually being treated.
What They Found
Decompression sickness was the single most common reason for HBOT, accounting for 46.87% of treatments. Wound-related conditions made up 50.13% of cases combined, including thermal burns (22.65%), diabetic ulcers (14.84%), crush injuries, skin grafts, and gangrene. No deaths were reported during treatment.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study shows that most real-world HBOT use is for wound healing, not just diving emergencies. For Canadians with diabetic foot ulcers, burns, or crush injuries who have not responded to standard wound care, HBOT is used clinically in multiple countries as an added treatment. It reinforces that HBOT centers in Canada serve a broad patient population beyond divers.
Canadian Relevance
Diabetic foot ulcers are an OHIP-covered indication for HBOT in Ontario. No direct Canadian connection identified for this study.
Study Limitations
This was a single hospital in Indonesia with no control group, making it impossible to determine whether outcomes were better than standard care alone.