What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a clinical trial to assess the long-term efficacy, safety, and feasibility of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in 20 Crohn's disease patients with therapy-refractory perianal fistulas.
What They Found
At week 60, the median perianal disease activity index score remained significantly lower than baseline at 4 (95% CI 3-7, p < 0.001), and the modified Van Assche index score was 7.7 (95% CI 5.2-10.2, p = 0.003). Inactive perianal disease (score of 4 or less) was observed in 12 of 20 patients at week 60, with 13 patients showing a clinical response based on fistula drainage assessment.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and does not include Canadian participants or specific Canadian healthcare contexts.
Study Limitations
A significant limitation of this study is the small sample size of only 20 patients, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.