What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated the adjunctive effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in 29 patients with refractory Crohn's disease.
What They Found
An overall success rate of 76% (22 cases) was observed with adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy for refractory Crohn's disease complications. Specifically, Pyoderma Gangrenosum and enterocutaneous fistulas showed high healing rates of 100% and 91%, respectively, while perineal Crohn's disease healed in 65% of cases.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with Crohn's disease that has not responded to conventional treatments, adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy may offer a new option for healing specific complications. This could potentially improve quality of life by promoting the closure of fistulas and healing of skin lesions.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada nor involved Canadian researchers or patients.
Study Limitations
The study's main limitations include its small sample size of 29 subjects and the absence of a control group, which limits the strength of the conclusions.