What Researchers Did
Researchers assessed the effects of short- and long-term hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on nasal mucociliary clearance (MCC) in 47 nondiabetic patients.
What They Found
Both short-term (average 8 sessions) and long-term (average 20 sessions) HBOT significantly affected nasal mucociliary clearance (P < 0.001) immediately after treatment. However, only long-term exposure caused significant and potentially irreversible elongation of MCC at a 6-month follow-up, suggesting a dose-dependent effect.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada or with Canadian participants.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its relatively small sample size of 47 nondiabetic patients, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.