What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively compared mortality and wound healing in 93 calciphylaxis patients, with 36 receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) plus intravenous sodium thiosulfate (IV STS) and 57 receiving IV STS alone.
What They Found
Full HBOT treatment was significantly associated with longer survival time (P = .016), and increasing HBOT sessions improved mortality outcomes. A significant positive association (P = .042) was also found between more HBOT sessions and improved wound scores.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may offer a promising adjunctive treatment option for Canadian patients with calciphylaxis, potentially improving survival and wound healing. This could be particularly valuable given the high mortality and lack of FDA-approved therapies for this painful condition.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted outside of Canada.
Study Limitations
The study's main limitation is its retrospective design, necessitating larger prospective studies for confirmation.