What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial with 28 moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients to assess the safety and efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as an adjunct treatment.
What They Found
The study found no deaths in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) group compared to 3 deaths in the control group, with no adverse events reported for HBOT. Patients receiving HBOT required lower oxygen delivery and showed decreases in inflammatory markers like CRP, ferritin, and LDH, alongside an increase in CD3 T cells.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) could potentially offer a safe adjunctive treatment to reduce inflammation and improve oxygenation. This therapy might help decrease the need for advanced respiratory support and potentially lower mortality rates, though further research is needed.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada or with Canadian participants.
Study Limitations
A primary limitation of this study is its small sample size of only 28 patients, which limits the generalizability of the findings.