What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines, analyzing 21 studies comparing HBOT versus no HBOT in patients with necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI), with mortality as the primary outcome.
What They Found
The majority of studies reported a positive association between HBOT and lower mortality, but all 21 studies had high to critical risk of bias. Most were case series with control groups, not randomised trials. No high-quality evidence confirmed a mortality benefit from HBOT in NSTI.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
All 21 included studies had high or critical risk of bias; without randomised controlled trials, the apparent mortality benefit of HBOT in NSTI cannot be reliably confirmed.