What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in Sweden to evaluate if 10 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen treatment improved health-related quality of life, symptoms, and physical performance in 80 long COVID patients compared to sham treatment.
What They Found
Eighty subjects (65 women, 15 men) with long COVID were enrolled and randomised, with 40 receiving HBOT and 40 receiving sham treatment. At 13 weeks, both groups showed improvement from baseline, but there was no significant difference between the hyperbaric oxygen treatment and placebo groups in primary endpoints like physical functioning.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with long COVID should not expect hyperbaric oxygen treatment to be a superior option for improving physical functioning or quality of life based on these results. Patients should continue to rely on evidence-based therapies and consult their healthcare providers for management strategies.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted at a single centre in Sweden.
Study Limitations
A key limitation is that this was a single-centre study, which may affect the generalizability of its findings to a broader population.