What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed the records of 58 patients treated for chronic refractory osteomyelitis (a long-lasting bone infection) with hyperbaric oxygen therapy alongside antibiotics and/or surgery, then looked at which factors were linked to treatment success or failure.
What They Found
This retrospective review of 58 patients with chronic refractory osteomyelitis found that, within this treated group, patients who completed their hyperbaric oxygen therapy had 7.76 times higher odds of improvement than patients who started hyperbaric oxygen therapy but did not finish it (p = 0.015), and 7.7 times higher odds of improvement after accounting for infection stage (p = 0.006). Completing hyperbaric oxygen therapy did not significantly change the odds of full resolution of the infection, further surgery, or amputation. Patients with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or congestive heart failure had higher odds of amputation (p = 0.026, p = 0.037, and p = 0.024, respectively).
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This was a retrospective, single-institution review, not a randomized trial, so it cannot prove that completing hyperbaric oxygen therapy caused the improvement, since patients who failed to complete treatment may have differed in other ways, such as illness severity, that were not fully captured by the analysis.