What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a double-blind randomized-controlled trial with 18 diabetic patients with ischemic lower-extremity ulcers, assigning them to receive either hyperbaric oxygen or air daily for 30 treatments.
What They Found
Complete healing was observed in 5 out of 8 ulcers in the hyperbaric oxygen group, compared to 1 out of 8 ulcers in the control group. The median decrease in wound area was 100% in the treatment group versus 52% in the control group (p=0.027). Cost-effectiveness analysis also suggested potential overall cost savings despite the initial expense.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with non-healing ischemic diabetic leg ulcers, hyperbaric oxygen therapy could offer an additional treatment option to promote healing. This therapy may be particularly beneficial when conventional treatments or reconstructive surgery are not feasible.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A primary limitation of this study is its very small sample size of only 18 patients, which limits the generalizability of the findings.