What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a prospective randomised trial with 168 patients who had severe closed-head trauma to evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), administered at 1.5 ATA for one hour every 8 hours over two weeks, on patient outcomes.
What They Found
The study found that HBOT significantly reduced the mortality rate from 32% in 82 control patients to 17% in 84 treated patients. For those with initial Glasgow Coma Scale scores of 4-6, mortality dropped from 42% to 17%, and for patients with peak intracranial pressure greater than 20 mm Hg, mortality decreased from 48% to 21%. However, HBOT did not increase the number of survivors achieving a good recovery or moderate disability.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
A key limitation is that while HBOT reduced mortality, it did not increase the number of patients who achieved favorable long-term outcomes like good recovery or moderate disability.