What Researchers Did
Researchers treated two male patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia with daily hyperbaric oxygen therapy for one week.
What They Found
Both patients, aged 57 and 64, experienced immediate relief from dyspnea and shortness of breath after the first HBO2 treatment, with daily decreases in respiratory rate and no progression to critical illness. Oxygen saturation and P/F ratio improved daily, while lymphocyte count, D-dimer, and cholinesterase levels also showed improvement. Follow-up CT scans revealed clear subsidence of pulmonary inflammation.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This preliminary study suggests that hyperbaric oxygen therapy might offer a potential treatment option for severe COVID-19 pneumonia to improve hypoxemia and prevent critical illness. However, given the very small sample size, more robust research is needed before considering this therapy for widespread use in Canadian hospitals.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The primary limitation of this study is its design as an uncontrolled case report involving only two patients, which limits generalizability.