What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized study on 17 patients to assess lipid peroxidation during hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) and the protective role of N-acetylcysteine (NAC).
What They Found
They found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) significantly increased lipid peroxidation, as measured by TBARS, in patients receiving HBO alone (p < 0.01). However, patients receiving N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in addition to HBO showed protection against this radicalic stress, with a significant difference in TBARS values between groups at the beginning of the 20th session (p < 0.01).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy might experience oxidative stress, indicated by lipid peroxidation. Supplementation with N-acetylcysteine could potentially offer a protective effect against this oxidative stress during HBO treatment.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted in Italy.
Study Limitations
A key limitation of this study is its very small sample size of 17 patients, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.