What Researchers Did
Researchers ran a randomised trial at three hospitals in Sweden and Germany, giving patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS either HBOT (2.4 ATA, 80 minutes, up to 5 sessions) plus standard care, or standard care alone.
What They Found
The trial was stopped early because HBOT showed no benefit. ICU admission rates were actually higher in the HBOT group (72%) versus controls (50%), though this difference was not statistically significant (OR 2.54, 95% CI 0.62–10.39, p=0.19). Adverse events occurred in 94% of HBOT patients and 93% of controls; three serious adverse events were possibly related to HBOT.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadians who had COVID-19 and developed severe lung complications requiring ICU care, this trial suggests HBOT did not reduce ICU admission or death. Clinicians at Canadian hospitals should not expect HBOT to replace or improve on standard critical care for COVID-19 ARDS. HBOT remains a feasible and generally safe intervention, but it was not effective for this specific condition.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The trial was stopped early with only 34 patients enrolled, far too few to detect a meaningful treatment effect or confirm safety with confidence.