What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a prospective randomized study to evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) therapy on the healing of nonischemic chronic diabetic foot ulcers in 28 patients.
What They Found
At day 15, patients receiving HBO showed a significantly greater reduction in ulcer size (41.8% vs. 21.7% in controls, P = 0.037). Transcutaneous oxygen pressure around the ulcer significantly increased from 21.9 to 454.2 mmHg during HBO (P < 0.001), though the difference in ulcer size was no longer significant at day 30.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with nonischemic chronic diabetic foot ulcers might experience faster initial healing with hyperbaric oxygenation therapy. However, the long-term benefits regarding complete ulcer closure require further investigation, as the accelerated healing was not sustained after 30 days in this study.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada, nor did it involve Canadian researchers or patients.
Study Limitations
The study was limited by its small sample size of 28 patients and the short follow-up period, which showed no sustained difference in ulcer healing at 30 days.