What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed their experience treating 22 patients with malignant or necrotizing otitis externa, a severe ear infection, over a four-year period.
What They Found
The study achieved a 95% cure rate with only 10% recurrence among 22 patients with malignant otitis externa. Most patients (60%) had diabetes, and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* was the causal germ in 87% of cases. Medical treatment, including parenteral antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy when appropriate, was used for 16 of the 22 patients.
Canadian Relevance
The study was not conducted by Canadian authors or in Canada. Malignant otitis externa is not currently a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This was a case series of 22 patients, not a randomised controlled trial, and the specific hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocols or the exact number of patients who received HBOT were not detailed in the abstract.