What Researchers Did
Doctors reviewed the records of 22 patients with frostbite injuries who were treated at one hospital between 2000 and 2015, looking at how hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) was used, its side effects, and the outcomes.
What They Found
This retrospective single-center review of 22 frostbite patients found it unclear whether HBOT reduced soft-tissue damage or amputation rates. Most patients were men (18, 81.8%), with a mean age of 40 (range, 13 to 70), and 17 (77.3%) had frostbite in an upper extremity. Ten patients (45.5%) were intoxicated at the time of injury and 9 (40.9%) had a psychiatric illness noted. Bone scans were done in 16 patients (72.7%), and in 4 of those patients the absence of radiotracer activity correlated with a protective effect on later amputation level. Side effects of HBOT occurred in 16 of 22 patients (72.7%), including ear barotrauma, nausea, vomiting, and anxiety.
Canadian Relevance
This study describes the experience of a single major Canadian university hospital, a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
This was a retrospective review of only 22 patients at one center with no comparison group, so it cannot determine whether HBOT changed soft-tissue outcomes or amputation rates, and high rates of intoxication and psychiatric illness in the group may have affected results.