What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed the medical records of 385 patients treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for non-healing ischemic wounds in their lower legs at an Israeli center between 1998 and 2007.
What They Found
The study found that 77.7% of patients experienced wound improvement after HBOT, with 15.2% achieving full recovery, 42.7% showing significant improvement, and 19.8% having slight improvement. Patients, with a mean age of 61.9 years, received a median of 29 HBOT treatments, and about 20% experienced mild side effects.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that HBOT could be a valuable additional treatment option for Canadian patients suffering from non-healing ischemic wounds, particularly those with diabetes. It indicates that HBOT may help improve healing rates and contribute to the recovery of these challenging chronic wounds.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers ischemic non-healing wounds, with a significant portion of patients being diabetic. Diabetic foot ulcers are a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
The study's retrospective design means it looked back at existing patient data, which may limit the ability to control for all influencing factors.