What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed 13 published studies on using hyperbaric oxygen therapy alongside standard treatment for Fournier's gangrene, a rare and severe infection of the genital and perineal area.
What They Found
This systematic review of 13 studies covering 376 patients with Fournier's gangrene found that a smaller subgroup of 5 retrospective case-control studies, involving 319 patients, showed a mortality rate of 16.6 percent among the 145 patients who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy, compared with 25.9 percent among those who did not. Across all 13 studies, 202 of the 376 patients received hyperbaric oxygen as an add-on treatment. The reviewers rated the overall risk of bias in the included studies as moderate to high.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The review relied on a small number of mostly retrospective, non-randomized studies with a moderate to high risk of bias, and the mortality comparison came from only 5 of the 13 studies rather than the full patient set.