What Researchers Did
This review article summarized the established treatments and potential future therapies for gas bubble diseases like decompression illness and iatrogenic gas embolism.
What They Found
Researchers found that therapeutic recompression with oxygen is the primary treatment for gas bubble diseases, and should be initiated promptly, though it can still be effective after several days' delay. They noted that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is generally safe, non-toxic, and can be used even in neonates. Additionally, various pharmacologic agents were identified as potential helpful additions to recompression therapy, but require further study.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism, both of which are Health Canada-recognised indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a review article from 1999, this study primarily summarizes existing knowledge and does not present new experimental data or specific HBOT protocols, and some information may be outdated.