What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed the physiological and biochemical rationale for using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) to treat COVID-19 patients, considering its potential benefits and existing evidence.
What They Found
They found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) offers several potential benefits for COVID-19 patients, including delivering oxygen in extreme hypoxemia, providing anti-inflammatory effects without immune suppression, and potentially reducing hypercoagulability. Three small published series, one with a propensity-score-matched control group, have demonstrated the safety and initial efficacy of HBO2, with 11 additional studies currently posted on clinicaltrials.gov.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with COVID-19, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) could offer a non-immunosuppressive approach to manage severe symptoms like hypoxemia, inflammation, and hypercoagulability. While more research is ongoing, this therapy presents a potential avenue for improving oxygen delivery and mitigating the overexuberant immune response seen in some COVID-19 cases.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's findings are based on a review of existing small series and anecdotal reports, highlighting the need for larger, more definitive clinical trials to confirm the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for COVID-19.