What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a retrospective study of 58 necrotizing soft tissue infection patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy between March 2007 and May 2015 to assess treatment modality impact on time to source control.
What They Found
Among 58 patients, the overall mortality was 13.8%, and the mean time to definitive source control was 10.4 days. Doubling the number of hyperbaric oxygen sessions per day shortened the time to source control by five days, while each day hyperbaric oxygen therapy was delayed resulted in a one-day delay in achieving source control.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections could potentially benefit from more intensive hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocols. Earlier and more frequent hyperbaric oxygen sessions may lead to faster resolution of their infections.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in Portugal and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a retrospective, single-center study, its findings may not be generalizable to all patient populations or healthcare settings.