What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated intraocular pressure changes in 56 patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy at 2.5 ATA, measuring bilateral IOP before, during, and after treatment.
What They Found
Average intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased significantly from 14.85 mmHg before therapy to 13.00 mmHg during therapy, returning to 14.74 mmHg after treatment. This statistically significant reduction during hyperbaric oxygen therapy was considered of minor physiological importance for patients with normal baseline IOP values.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy for various conditions can expect a temporary, statistically significant decrease in their eye pressure during treatment. However, this change is likely to be small and not clinically significant if their baseline eye pressure is within the normal range.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation is that the observed decrease in intraocular pressure was of minor physiological significance, particularly for patients with normal baseline values.