What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a systematic review of twelve randomized controlled trials to evaluate the benefits and harms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as an additional treatment for chronic lower limb ulcers.
What They Found
The review included 577 participants across twelve trials, with 531 participants from ten trials having diabetic foot ulcers. Pooled data from five trials (205 participants) showed HBOT increased ulcer healing rates at six weeks (risk ratio 2.35, 95% CI 1.19 to 4.62; P = 0.01), but this benefit was not sustained at one year. There was no statistically significant difference in major amputation rates.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with chronic lower limb ulcers, particularly diabetic foot ulcers, HBOT may offer a short-term improvement in wound healing. However, the long-term effectiveness of HBOT for complete healing or preventing amputations remains unclear based on this review. Patients should discuss these potential short-term benefits with their healthcare providers.
Canadian Relevance
Diabetic foot ulcers are a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, making these findings relevant to Canadian clinical practice. No direct Canadian authors or study sites were identified.
Study Limitations
A limitation is that the short-term healing benefits were not sustained long-term, and the overall evidence was based on a relatively small number of participants across the included trials.