What Researchers Did
This review examined the impact of hyperbaric oxygen, deep diving, and decompression on various facets of the human immune system.
What They Found
The review found that hyperbaric exposure can lead to a decreased CD4+:CD8+ ratio, reduced lymphocyte proliferation, and neutrophil activation. While professional divers may acclimatize, patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy are more vulnerable, potentially experiencing impaired immune surveillance.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be aware of potential impacts on their immune system. Monitoring immune function during treatment may be beneficial to ensure treatment success and patient safety.
Canadian Relevance
This review has Canadian relevance as one of the authors is Canadian, contributing to the understanding of hyperbaric medicine within a Canadian research context.
Study Limitations
As a review, this study synthesizes existing literature, and its conclusions are dependent on the quality and scope of the primary studies included.