What Researchers Did
Researchers surveyed nuclear medicine physicians and medical liability insurance companies to document the types and frequency of complications after radiosynoviorthesis, a treatment for inflammatory joint disease.
What They Found
The survey documented 53 severe complications, including 28 cases of tissue necrosis, 12 thromboses, and 13 joint infections. Notably, hyperbaric oxygen therapy successfully treated Rhenium-186-induced ulcers in two cases.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients undergoing radiosynoviorthesis for inflammatory joint disease, this study suggests that serious complications like tissue necrosis or infection are rare but can occur. The findings also indicate that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be a beneficial treatment option for certain radiation-induced ulcers.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and does not include Canadian authors. However, it covers radiation-induced tissue necrosis and ulcers, which relate to delayed radiation injury, a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
A significant limitation of this study was the low survey response rate of 25.7%, which prevented researchers from calculating a reliable frequency of complications.