What Researchers Did
Doctors reviewed the records of 34 patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Fournier's gangrene, a serious infection of the genital and groin area, over a 25 year period at one center.
What They Found
This retrospective review of 34 Fournier's gangrene patients found a mortality rate of 20.8%, with 94.1% of patients being male and a mean age of 53.7 years. Urinary tract infection was the most common source of the disease, and diabetes was the most common comorbidity among patients. The abstract reports no significant correlation between diabetes and death, even though most patients who died had diabetes.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This is a retrospective, single-center review of 34 cases with no comparison group, so it cannot show whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy itself changed patient outcomes.