What Researchers Did
Researchers placed eight patients with kidney stones into a hyperbaric chamber and used ultrasound to measure changes in a "twinkling" effect on the stones as pressure increased.
What They Found
Patients were exposed to pressures up to 4 atmospheres absolute (ATA). The study found that exposure to 3 and 4 ATA significantly reduced the "twinkle power" on kidney stones by an average of 35% and 39% respectively in seven out of eight patients. This reduction supports the idea that microbubbles are present on kidney stones in humans.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The study involved a very small number of patients, limiting the generalizability of the findings.