What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a systematic review of five randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and adverse effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for acute wounds.
What They Found
Among 360 patients across five trials, HBOT significantly improved healing in crush wounds (relative risk [RR] 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-2.61) and reduced additional surgical procedures (RR 1.60, 95% CI 1.03-2.50) and tissue necrosis (RR 1.70, 95% CI 1.11-2.61). HBOT also led to quicker healing in burn wounds (P < 0.005) and a significantly higher percentage of healthy graft area in split skin grafts (RR 3.50, 95% CI 1.35-9.11).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with certain acute wounds, such as crush injuries, burns, or those requiring skin grafts, might benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This treatment could potentially accelerate healing, reduce the need for further surgeries, and improve overall outcomes for difficult-to-heal acute wounds.
Canadian Relevance
This systematic review did not include any Canadian studies or data.
Study Limitations
The included trials had methodologic flaws, involved different wound types and outcome parameters, which prevented a comprehensive meta-analysis.