What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively analyzed adverse events recorded during over 1.5 million hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments administered in US outpatient wound care centers between 2012 and 2015.
What They Found
Out of 1.5 million hyperbaric oxygen treatments, 0.68% were associated with an adverse event. Barotrauma and confinement anxiety were the most common events, while severe events like oxygen toxicity occurred in fewer than 0.05 instances per 1000 treatments, and only one case of pneumothorax was confirmed.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be reassured that serious adverse events are rare. However, they should be aware that minor issues like ear/sinus barotrauma or anxiety are more common but generally manageable.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted using data from US outpatient wound care centers and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this retrospective study is its reliance on data from a single proprietary electronic health system in the United States, which may not be fully generalizable.