What Researchers Did
Researchers at Toronto General Hospital and Rouge Valley Hyperbaric Medical Center retrospectively reviewed 634 HBOT sessions administered to 22 patients with pre-existing seizure disorders to assess safety, with sessions lasting 90 to 120 minutes at 1.8 to 2.4 ATA with 5-minute air breaks.
What They Found
Only 1 seizure occurred in 634 treatment sessions (0.16% per session). 21 of the 43 referred patients chose not to proceed with treatment. Patients were managed at 1.8 ATA (n=3), 2.0 ATA (n=18), or 2.4 ATA (n=1); 15 were on antiseizure medications throughout.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Seizure disorder is often listed as a relative contraindication to HBOT, leading many Canadian patients with epilepsy to be denied treatment. This Toronto-based study demonstrates that with careful protocols -- including air breaks, standard pressures, and antiseizure medications -- patients with seizure histories can safely undergo HBOT with very low risk (1 in 634 sessions).
Canadian Relevance
This is a Canadian study conducted at Toronto General Hospital and Rouge Valley Hyperbaric Medical Center in Ontario, directly relevant to Canadian HBOT practice. The safety data from these two Ontario facilities support including patients with controlled seizure disorders in HBOT programs.
Study Limitations
Small sample of 22 patients; the study excluded high-risk patients (21 did not proceed), so the observed seizure rate may underestimate risk in less carefully selected populations.