What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively assessed long-term outcomes 5 to 8 years after injury in 133 patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury who received HBOT during inpatient rehabilitation, analyzing the relationship between number of HBO sessions and functional recovery.
What They Found
62.4% of patients achieved mild or no disability at 5 to 8 year follow-up. Statistical modeling suggested approximately 14 HBOT sessions were optimal for moderate TBI and 21.6 sessions for severe TBI. More sessions beyond the optimal range were associated with worse prognosis.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified. Relevant to the estimated 400,000 Canadians living with TBI-related disability.
Study Limitations
This retrospective Chinese study may not reflect rehabilitation contexts in Canada; the optimal session numbers were derived from statistical models applied to a non-randomised dataset.