What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on five cases of severe neck infections, known as necrotizing fasciitis, that originated in the throat, out of 20 total cases treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What They Found
All five patients survived but experienced significant illness. They all underwent surgery, at least 30 days of endotracheal intubation, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Four of these five patients had initially used anti-inflammatory drugs, including non-steroidal (1 case), steroidal (2 cases), or both (1 case).
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The small number of cases and insufficient data on initial anti-inflammatory drug use prevented the researchers from proving a direct link between these drugs and the severe infection.