What Researchers Did
Doctors reported a case where HBOT was used to treat extreme swelling of the tongue in a man in his 20s who suffered a gunshot wound to the mouth.
What They Found
After surgery to remove shrapnel, the patient developed severe tongue swelling requiring emergency airway intubation. After HBOT sessions began on postoperative day 1, the swelling resolved quickly enough that he was extubated by postoperative day 4, faster recovery than typically expected.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian trauma patients, including those injured in accidents, assaults, or industrial incidents, HBOT may shorten the time they need to be on a breathing tube after severe facial swelling, reducing risks associated with prolonged intubation such as infection and breathing complications.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This is a single case report and no comparison group exists, so the role of HBOT versus the natural healing process cannot be determined.