INTERVAL HYPOXIC HYPEROXIC TREATMENT IN THE REHABILITATION OF POST-COVID-19 PATIENTS

Abstract

The aim of the study is to reveal the main pathogenetic mechanisms of the effectiveness of interval hypoxic hyperoxic treatment in the rehabilitation of post-COVID-19 patients.
 Materials and Methods. Hypo-Oxy, hypoxic therapy device produced by Oxyterra (Russia) was used to generate a hypoxic mixture with different oxygen content. Hypoxic periods followed the hyperoxic ones (30 % O2). To determine individual sensitivity to hypoxia, patients underwent a hypoxic test, the results of which were used to select the optimal oxygen content in the hypoxic mixture, the duration of hypoxic effects and the number of sessions. The authors determined the parameters of the functional respiratory system, oxygen regimen, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant system, exhaled air condensate and coagulation system. Statistical processing was carried out in accordance with the rules of mathematical statistics using Microsoft Excel and Statistica 6.0 for Windows. When conducting parametric analysis, paired and unpaired Student's t-tests were used. All numerical data were presented as the arithmetic mean and standard error of the mean (M±m). Differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. 
 Results. Interval hypoxic hyperoxic treatment has proven to be an effective way to rehabilitate post-COVID-19 patients (medium severity). After hypoxic therapy, there was a decrease in respiratory, circulatory, hemic and tissue hypoxia, and an improvement in the parameters of the prooxidant and antioxidant systems. Hypoxic therapy had a normalizing effect on the hemostasis system: platelet count in the blood increased (p<0.05) (it was low before hypoxic therapy). Activated partial thromboplastin time, international normalized ratio, and antithrombin III content also increased. Prothrombin index, fibrinogen and D-dimer content in the blood serum showed a decreased risk of thrombosis. 
 Conclusion. The conducted studies have proven the high efficiency of interval hypoxic hyperoxic treatment in the rehabilitation of post-COVID-19 patients.