What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively reviewed patient charts to quantify the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on blood pressure.
What They Found
They identified 155 patients who received 3,147 hyperbaric oxygen treatments, finding an overall increase in median systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure following treatment. Calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers had an agonizing effect on blood pressure, while ACE inhibitors showed a protective effect, and the change in SBP decreased with more treatments.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be aware of potential blood pressure changes, though these are generally not large. Healthcare providers should consider medication interactions, particularly with ACE inhibitors offering a protective effect.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted at a large tertiary referral university hospital hyperbaric center outside of Canada.
Study Limitations
The retrospective design and reliance on quality assurance data may limit the generalizability and control of variables in this study.