What Researchers Did
Researchers looked back at patient records to find out how often low blood sugar happened during hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with diabetes, what factors might cause it, and if a pre-treatment blood sugar level could predict it.
What They Found
Out of 3,136 hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions for patients with diabetes, low blood sugar (defined as ≤ 70 mg/dL) occurred in 1.5% of cases. Severe or symptomatic low blood sugar was rare. A pre-treatment blood sugar level of 150 mg/dL was the best predictor for subsequent low blood sugar, and patients with Type 1 diabetes had a 3.69 times higher risk.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with diabetes undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy, this study suggests that severe low blood sugar is uncommon. However, those with Type 1 diabetes should be particularly aware of their blood sugar levels. Monitoring blood sugar before HBOT, especially if it's below 150 mg/dL, could help prevent low blood sugar during treatment.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This study was a retrospective review, meaning it looked back at existing patient data, which might have missed some details or introduced biases.