What Researchers Did
Researchers compared outcomes in 253 patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections (flesh-eating disease), 143 who received HBOT plus standard surgical care and 110 who received surgical care alone during the COVID-19 pandemic when HBOT was unavailable.
What They Found
Patients who received HBOT had a significantly lower 90-day death rate compared to those who did not (5.8% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.015). The survival benefit was especially strong for patients with large wounds (450 cm² or more) and those who were critically ill (high APACHE II scores), with HBOT reducing the risk of death by 88% in that subgroup (odds ratio 0.12).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadians with necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease), a life-threatening emergency, access to HBOT alongside surgery appears to meaningfully reduce the chance of dying, especially for the most severely ill patients. This supports the case for having HBOT available at trauma centers treating these infections.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The non-HBOT group was largely defined by COVID-19 era service disruptions, meaning unmeasured differences in care quality during that period may have contributed to worse outcomes independent of HBOT.