What Researchers Did
The study retrospectively compared visual outcomes in patients with non-arteritic central retinal artery occlusion treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy plus standard of care versus standard of care alone.
What They Found
Patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) showed significant improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from 2.89 to 2.15 logMAR (P < 0.001), while the standard of care group had no significant improvement (3.04 to 2.80 logMAR, P = 0.24). The final BCVA was significantly better in the HBOT group (P = 0.023) after adjusting for age, gender, and symptom duration, although rates of achieving 20/200 vision or better were similar between groups (17.4% vs. 19.8%).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients experiencing non-arteritic central retinal artery occlusion might benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to improve their final visual acuity. If available, HBOT could be considered as part of the standard treatment protocol in tertiary medical centres.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in two tertiary medical centres outside of Canada, therefore it has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's retrospective design and the relatively small sample size in the standard of care group are notable limitations.