What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a prospective, interventional study on forty eyes of twenty healthy patients to investigate the electrophysiological effects of ten hyperbaric oxygen treatment sessions on the retina.
What They Found
They found that dark-adapted b-wave amplitude in 3.0 ERG significantly decreased (p = 0.001) after HBOT. Overall, HBOT led to a deterioration of a-wave and b-wave amplitudes in full-field electroretinography, indicating short-term adverse effects on photoreceptors.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatment should be aware of potential short-term adverse effects on their retinal photoreceptors. Ophthalmologic monitoring may be beneficial for patients receiving HBOT, especially those with pre-existing ocular conditions.
Canadian Relevance
This study does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation is that the study only assessed short-term effects on healthy retinas, not long-term outcomes or effects on eyes with pre-existing conditions.