What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a narrative review to gather information and evidence supporting the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in treating surgical site infections (SSIs), scrutinizing relevant studies from Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science.
What They Found
The review indicated that HBOT has potential beneficial effects in treating SSIs and similar infections following cardiac, neuromuscular scoliosis, coronary artery bypass, and urogenital surgeries, promoting rapid healing and epithelialization. HBOT was also found to be a safe therapeutic procedure in most cases, acting through direct bactericidal effects, immunomodulation, and synergistic effects with antibiotics.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy could serve as a valuable adjunctive treatment for Canadian patients experiencing surgical site infections, potentially accelerating wound healing and reducing complications. Patients with SSIs after various surgeries, including cardiac or urogenital procedures, might benefit from this safe option to improve recovery outcomes.
Canadian Relevance
This narrative review does not have a direct Canadian connection, as the study was conducted by researchers outside of Canada and did not involve Canadian participants or healthcare systems.
Study Limitations
A key limitation is that this was a narrative review, which may be subject to selection bias and lacks the systematic rigor of a meta-analysis or randomized controlled trials, which the authors themselves called for.