Early Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Research Articles

Outcomes of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment for Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: A Single Center Experience

PurposeTo describe the outcomes of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for patients with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) at a single tertiary care center. DesignRetrospective clinical cohort study. MethodsMedical records of all patients diagnosed with CRAO who received HBOT at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2020 were reviewed to confirm diagnosis, time from onset to presentation, exam findings, treatments, and follow-up data. Main outcome measures included final visual acuity (VA) and number of lines of improvement. ResultsThere were 41 patients diagnosed with CRAO who received HBOT during the 12 year study period. Median time from symptom onset to HBOT treatment was 9.5 hours (interquartile range [IQR] 6.5, 14.0 hours), and patients received a median of 4 HBOT sessions (IQR 2.5, 6.0 sessions). There were 20 patients who received HBOT within 9 hours, 14 (70%) of which had clinically meaningful improvement in VA of ≥0.3 logMAR. In comparison, of the 21 patients treated after 9 hours, 6 (28.6%) had VA improvement of ≥0.3 logMAR (p=0.008). For all patients, the median logMAR VA at presentation was 2.00 (IQR 1.70, 2.30) and the median logMAR VA at follow-up was 1.94 (IQR 1.00, 2.00) (p<0.001), with median lines of improvement of 3.0 (IQR 0.0, 7.0). For patients treated within 9 hours, the median logMAR VA at presentation was 2.00 (IQR 1.93, 2.30) and the median logMAR VA at follow-up was 1.70 (IQR 0.54, 2.00). Patients treated within 9 hours had statistically significant greater median lines of VA improvement than cases that were treated after >9 hours from symptom onset at 5.9 (IQR 3.0, 10.0) and 0.0 (IQR 0.0, 3.0), respectively (p<0.001). There was no difference in VA recovery associated with specific retinal exam findings such as cherry-red spot (p=0.22) and cilioretinal artery perfusion (p=0.36) compared to patients without those findings. ConclusionThere was a statistically significant improvement in VA after HBOT treatment in CRAO patients among patients that received early HBOT, with patients receiving the most benefit when receiving treatment within 9 hours. Randomized control trials in patients with CRAO are required to confirm the efficacy of HBOT.

Benefits of Early Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Attention Networks in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

In despite of an effective treatment for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is also a common complication, and it will have significant impacts on the recovery of neurological functions. In this study, we aim to investigate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in the rehabilitation treatment of aSAH. In this study, a total of 98 patients with aSAH and 25 healthy individuals were recruited. Among the patients, 51 individuals received the application of HBOT after the effective treatment of aSAH, while other 47 individuals just received physical rehabilitation. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scales at 7 days after aSAH were applied for all patients to determine the baselines of neurological deficits and cognitive functions. Attention network test (ANT) was performed at the 6th month. The results indicated that the patients receiving HBOT had a lower incidence of DCI (p=0.026) and a better improvement of executive control function (p<0.001) of ANT, in comparison with those without HBOT. However, there were no differences of orienting, alerting, mean reaction time and accuracy between the two groups. In summary, early hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduced the DCI rate in aSAH patients and consequently promote the improvement of the executive control function of ANT.

Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy through regulating the HIF-1α signaling pathway attenuates Neuroinflammation and behavioral deficits in a mouse model of Sepsis-associated encephalopathy

BackgroundSepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) presents a significant clinical challenge, associated with increased mortality and healthcare expenses. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), involving inhaling pure or highly concentrated oxygen under pressures exceeding one atmosphere, has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in various conditions. However, the precise mechanisms underlying its protective actions against sepsis-associated brain injury remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether HBOT protects against SAE and to elucidate the impact of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) signaling pathway on SAE. MethodsThe experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part, C57BL/6 J male mice were divided into five groups using a random number table method: control group, sham surgery group, sepsis group, HBOT + sepsis group, and HBOT + sham surgery group. In the subsequent part, C57BL/6 J male mice were divided into four groups: sepsis group, HBOT + sepsis group, HIF-1α + HBOT + sepsis group, and HIF-1α + sepsis group. Sepsis was induced via cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was administered at 1 h and 4 h post-CLP. After 24 h, blood and hippocampal tissue were collected for cytokine measurements. HIF-1α, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression were assessed via ELISA and western blotting. Microglial expression was determined by immunofluorescence. Blood-brain barrier permeability was quantified using Evans Blue. Barnes maze and fear conditioning were conducted 14 days post-CLP to evaluate learning and memory. ResultsOur findings reveal that CLP-induced hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits coincided with elevated HIF-1α and increased TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels in both blood and hippocampus. Observable activation of microglial cells in the hippocampus and increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability were also evident. HBOT mitigated HIF-1α, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels, attenuated microglial activation in the hippocampus, and significantly improved learning and memory deficits in CLP-exposed mice. Additionally, these outcomes were corroborated by injecting a lentivirus that overexpressed HIF-1α into the hippocampal region of the mice. ConclusionHIF-1α escalation induced peripheral and central inflammatory factors, promoting microglial activation, BBB impairment, and cognitive dysfunction. However, HBOT ameliorated these effects by reducing HIF-1α levels in Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy.

Stereotactic puncture surgery combined with early hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be better for long-term functional recovery in patients with moderate amounts of thalamic-inner capsule region haemorrhage

BackgroundThe prognosis of patients with thalamic hemorrhage is poor, and their long-term neurological impairment is heavy, which seriously affects their work and life.To comparatively analyse the efficacy and prognosis of patients with moderate hemorrhage in the thalamic region who underwent conservative treatment, stereotactic puncture surgery and neuroendoscopic surgery. MethodThis study retrospectively analyzed hospitalization data from 139 adult patients with moderate-volume cerebral hemorrhage in the thalamo-endocapsular region. They were categorized into a stereotactic group (39cases), a neuroendoscopic group (36cases), and a conventional conservative group (64cases). Logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk factors for severe neurological deficits in patients. Multivariate regression modeling was used to compare the correlation of severe neurological deficits among the three groups of patients. ResultsPatients with thalamic moderate-volume cerebral hemorrhage had statistically significantly higher Assessment of Daily Living (ADL) scores in the stereotactic surgery group than in the conservative treatment group and the neuroendoscopic surgery group after 6 months of treatment (p< 0.001).The amount of residual hematoma was significantly lower in the surgery groups than in the conservative treatment group at 3 days, 7 days, and 2 weeks after the onset of the disease (P< 0.001).In multivariate logistic regression analyses, after adjusting for all covariates, the odds ratios for severe neurologic dysfunction in the stereotactic group and the neuroendoscopy group were, respectively, OR: 0.37 (0.12–0.87), P< 0.001 and 0.42 (0.23–1.13), P=0.361). ConclusionIn patients with moderate volume cerebral hemorrhage in the thalamus-inner capsule region cerebral hemorrhage, patients treated with stereotactic surgery combined with early hyperbaric oxygen therapy may have better long-term neurological recovery compared with conservative and neuroendoscopic surgical treatments.

Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the management of severe lower limb soft tissue injuries: a systematic review

PurposeTraumatic crush injuries of the lower limb often accompany severe complications. The incorporation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to standard trauma care may have the potential to diminish injury-related complications and improve outcome in such cases. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the management of severe lower limb soft tissue injuries.MethodsThe electronic databases Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched to identify studies involving patients with crush-associated sever lower limb soft tissue injuries who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy in conjunction with standard trauma care. Relevant data on type of injury, hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocol and outcome related to wound healing were extracted.ResultsIn total seven studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 229 patients. The studies included two randomized clinical trials, one retrospective cohort study, three case series and one case report. The randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial showed a significant increase in wound healing and decrease in the need for additional surgical interventions in the patient group receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy when compared to those undergoing sham therapy. The randomized non-placebo-controlled clinical trial revealed that early hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces tissue necrosis and the likelihood of long-term complications. The retrospective cohort study indicated that hyperbaric oxygen therapy effectively reduces infection rates and the need for additional surgical interventions. The case series and case report presented beneficial results with regard to wound healing when hyperbaric oxygen therapy was added to the treatment regimen.ConclusionHyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally considered a safe therapeutic intervention and seems to have a beneficial effect on wound healing in severe lower limb soft tissue injuries when implemented as an addition to standard trauma care.

The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of hand crush injuries.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used as an adjuvant treatment for crush injury because it can improve tissue hypoxia and stimulate wound healing. However, the actual role of HBOT in crush hand injury is still unknown. This study is to assess the efficacy of HBOT for crush hand patients, as well as the impact of HBOT initiation timing. Between 2018 and 2021, 72 patients with crush hand injury were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into the HBOT and control group, and each group had 36 patients. The average session of HBOT was 18.2 (5-32 sessions) per patient, and no patient had a complication related to the treatment. The two groups had similar demographics, but HBOT group had larger injured area (73.6 ± 51.0 vs. 48.2 ± 45.5 cm2 , p = 0.03). To better control the confounding factors, we performed the subgroup analysis with cut-off injured area of 50 cm2 . In the patients with smaller injured area (≦50 cm2 ), the HBOT group had shorter wound healing time (29.9 ± 12.9 vs. 41.0 ± 18.9 days, p = 0.03). The early HBOT group (first session ≤72 h post-operatively) had shorter hospital stay (8.1 ± 6.4 vs. 15.5 ± 11.4 days, p = 0.04), faster wound healing (28.7 ± 17.8 vs. 41.1 ± 18.1 days, p = 0.08) and less operations (1.54 ± 0.78 vs. 2.41 ± 1.62, p = 0.06) although the latter two didn't achieve statistical significance. HBOT is safe and effective in improving wound healing of hand crush injury. Early intervention of HBOT may be more beneficial. Future research is required to provide more evidence.

Hyperbaric Therapy in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation: An Integrative Review

Introduction: Patients with liver disease generally have a serious clinical condition that can rapidly worsen, making the wait until liver transplantation or post-surgery a poor prognosis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has therefore been described in some studies as an alternative in these cases, as it mitigates the effects of the diseases and liver transplantation. Objective: To describe the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the pre- and post-operative periods of patients undergoing liver transplantation. Methods: This is an Integrative Review using the PubMed and Web Of Science databases. The following descriptors were used: “Hyperbaric oxygenation”, “Liver transplantation” and “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy” with the Boolean operator “AND”, and articles of relevance to the topic were selected. Initially, 49 articles were selected, all published in the last 20 years, in Portuguese and/or English. After analysis, 6 articles matched the proposed objective. Results: It can be seen that intraoperative systemic O2 content affects postoperative recovery in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy acts as a protector in reducing the severity of hepatocyte ischemia/reperfusion injury. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also influences the immune response of patients undergoing liver transplantation, reducing incompatibility. Still on the subject of the immunomodulatory effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, this therapy has been shown to be effective in helping to prevent post-operative infections by improving the antibacterial activity of immune cells and increasing the bactericidal effect of antibiotics. In the case of patients on the waiting list for liver transplants, a reduction in the number and intensity of encephalopathy episodes, an improvement in pruritus and a feeling of well-being were observed after treatment with oxygen therapy. In terms of early allograft dysfunction, it was shown that patients with dysfunction had lower O2 values in the anepathic and neo-hepatic phases when compared to patients without dysfunction in the post-operative period. In addition, during the anepathic phase, the content of the SatO2 level was also lower in the group with dysfunction than in those without. Conclusion: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is beneficial in liver preservation, as it helps to maintain liver function, prolong liver preservation time and improve the outcome of liver transplantation.

Sudden hearing loss and early hyperbaric oxygen therapy: A preliminary study

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a time-sensitive urgent condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of hearing improvement in patients with idiopathic SSNHL who only received hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy within 3 days of symptom onset, instead of conventional corticosteroid treatment. Methods: The medical charts of patients who experienced SSNHL between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2021, were reviewed. The present study included all adult patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic SSNHL and started HBO2 therapy within 72 hours of symptom onset. These subjects did not take corticosteroids due to contraindications or because they were concerned about possible side effects. The HBO2 therapy protocol consisted of at least 10 sessions of 85 minutes each with pure oxygen inhalation at 2.5 atmospheres absolute pressure. Results: Overall, 49 subjects (26 males and 23 females) met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 47 (± 20.4) years. The mean initial hearing threshold was 69.8 dB (± 18.0). After HBO2 therapy, complete hearing recovery was observed in 35 patients (71.4%), and the mean hearing threshold improved significantly (P&lt;0.001) to 31.4 dB (± 24.5). In patients with complete hearing recovery, no significant differences were found between males and females (P=0.79), right and left ears (P=0.72) or initial grades of hearing loss (P=0.90). Conclusion: This study suggests that, in the absence of the confounding effect of concurrent steroid therapy, starting HBO2 therapy within 3 days of symptom onset could have a positive impact on patients with idiopathic SSNHL.

Sudden hearing loss and early hyperbaric oxygen therapy: a preliminary study

Purpose: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a time-sensitive urgent condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of hearing improvement in patients with idiopathic SSNHL who only received hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy within 3 days of symptom onset, instead of conventional corticosteroid treatment. Methods: The medical charts of patients who experienced SSNHL between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2021, were reviewed. The present study included all adult patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic SSNHL and started HBO2 therapy within 72 hours of symptom onset. These subjects did not take corticosteroids due to contraindications or because they were concerned about possible side effects. The HBO2 therapy protocol consisted of at least 10 sessions of 85 minutes each with pure oxygen inhalation at 2.5 atmospheres absolute pressure. Results: Overall, 49 subjects (26 males and 23 females) met the inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 47 (± 20.4) years. The mean initial hearing threshold was 69.8 dB (± 18.0). After HBO2 therapy, complete hearing recovery was observed in 35 patients (71.4%), and the mean hearing threshold improved significantly (P&lt;0.001) to 31.4 dB (± 24.5). In patients with complete hearing recovery, no significant differences were found between males and females (P=0.79), right and left ears (P=0.72) or initial grades of hearing loss (P=0.90). Conclusion: This study suggests that, in the absence of the confounding effect of concurrent steroid therapy, starting HBO2 therapy within 3 days of symptom onset could have a positive impact on patients with idiopathic SSNHL.

“Delayed hyperbaric oxygen treatment for cerebral gas embolism can still be life-saving” - a case report

Background: Cerebral gas embolism (CGE) is an uncommon and often preventable iatrogenic complication. Any peri-procedural neurological event should raise suspicion of CGE and treatment should start immediately. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the treatment of choice and early referral is essential. However, HBOT has been shown to be beneficial with full recovery even after delays as long as 60 hours. This report is written to increase awareness about the recognition and management of this dreaded complication. Case Presentation: We report a case of a patient who suffered a cardiac arrest secondary to CGE during routine coronary angiography followed by a ventriculogram. After successful resuscitation, a review of imaging revealed air in the left ventricle and computed tomography (CT) brain showed parenchymal air locules with surrounding ischemic changes. Neurological examination showed hypertonic reflexes with extensor plantar response and intermittent seizures. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) was arranged but there was a delay of about 14 hours between diagnosis and arrival due to logistical reasons. On arrival, the patient was still having seizures intermittently despite the anti-epileptics and sedative infusions. Seizures stopped within 20 minutes of HBOT initiation and a CT brain done 48 hours later demonstrated mild edema but no residual air. Four more sessions were provided in the following 72 hours. Upon eventual discharge, the patient had a near-full neurological recovery, except for a mild left hemiparesis. Conclusion: Acute neurological symptoms after an invasive procedure, should raise the suspicion of CGE. Early HBOT is the treatment of choice as minutes are equal to saved brain cells. However, delayed treatment can still be lifesaving and should be considered.

Mind the bubbles - A patient presents with seizure after haemodialysis.

A patient with patent ductus arteriosus presents with seizure after haemodialysis. Although conscious on arrival to the emergency department with spontaneous limb movement, he develops recurrent convulsion and left hemiparesis after admission. The approach to the haemodialysis patient presenting with seizure is discussed and the role of early hyperbaric oxygen therapy for an uncommon but important diagnosis is highlighted.

Treatment and prophylaxis of radiation optic neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Radiation optic neuropathy (RON) generally follows radiation therapy that exceed 50 Gy to the visual axis and occurs within three years of therapy. Currently, there are no universally accepted treatments or prophylaxis for RON. The review aimed to examine the efficacy of all treatments and prophylaxis for RON. MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and gray literature were searched to December 2020. Studies on treatment(s) and/or prophylaxis of RON were included. Results were meta-analyzed using a random-effects model. Primary outcomes included the proportions of patients who experienced improvement, no change, or worsening of visual acuity (VA) for each treatment. Secondary outcome was the incidence of RON for studies on prophylaxis. Overall, 50 studies (n = 5397) were included. Meta-analysis (n = 1752) showed significantly lower incidence of RON in patients who underwent intravitreal anti-VEGF prophylaxis compared to control (RR 0.64, 95%CI [0.48, 0.86]) for uveal melanoma. Intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (n = 68), hyperbaric oxygen therapy alone (n = 14), and pentoxifylline (n = 5) resulted in improved or stable vision ≤1 logMAR in 54.5%, 42.9%, and 40.0% of patients, respectively. Systemic corticosteroids (n = 82), anticoagulants (n = 12), and systemic bevacizumab (n = 7) showed improved or stable vision ≤1 logMAR in 17.1%, 33.3%, and 14.3% of patients, respectively. Overall risk of bias was low, but evidence was limited to retrospective studies. Intravitreal anti-VEGF injections reduced incidence of RON in irradiated uveal melanoma patients. Systemic corticosteroids, systemic bevacizumab, and warfarin alone are likely ineffective treatments. Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy and intravitreal anti-VEGF injections were most effective among those investigated and require further investigation.

Effects of early hyperbaric oxygen therapy with different frequencies on the nerve injury and vascular endothelial function in patients with acute cerebral infarction

The therapeutic efficacy of multi-frequency hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on neurological function and vascular endothelial function in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI) has not been demonstrated. In the present study, a total of 92 patients with ACI admitted to the emergency department and neurology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College were divided into a low-frequency and a high-frequency group, and HBOT was given once and twice a day, respectively, on the basis of routine drug treatment. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, clinical outcomes, neurological function and vascular endothelial function before and after treatment were compared between the two groups, and the safety of treatment was evaluated. No deterioration or death was observed in both groups, and the overall effective rate of the high-frequency group was significantly higher than that of the low-frequency group (95.65% vs. 84.78%); NIHSS score and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and brain-specific protein (S100-β) levels were significantly lower in the high-frequency group than those in the low-frequency group after one-month treatment; endothelin-1 (ET-1) level obviously decreased, whereas the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nitric oxide (NO) were significantly increased after 1 month of treatment in the high-frequency group, indicating better vascular endothelial function compared with that in the low-frequency group; the results of safety assessment showed that no serious adverse reactions occurred in both high-frequency and low-frequency groups. Therefore, early HBOT at a frequency of twice a day can not only effectively improve neurological function, but also have a restorative effect on vascular endothelial function in ACI, which is a safe and effective therapy.

Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Serum Adhesion Molecules, and Serum Oxidative Stress in Patients with Acute Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background: Serum concentrations of adhesion molecules and oxidative stress is thought to participate in the pathobiology of secondary brain injury after acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). We aimed to study the hypothesis that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) both improves the adhesion molecules levels and antioxidant capacity. Methods: Thirty blood samples from ten patients after acute TBI were obtained after injury and before and after HBOT. Four patients received early HBOT started two weeks after injury, four patients received late HBOT started ten weeks after injury and two patients did not receive HBOT and served as control in this study. The HBOT patients received total 30 times HBOT in six weeks period. Results: Those serum biomarkers in patients with TBI had not significantly difference in glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), soluble intercellular cell adhesion-molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) concentrations on admission between early HBOT, late HBOT, and control group (p = 0.916, p = 0.98, p = 0.306, and p = 0.548, respectively). Serum GSH levels were higher at 10 weeks after injury in the early HBOT group than in the late HBOT group and control group (mean, 1.40 μmol/L, 1.16 μmol/L, and 1.05 μmol/L, respectively). Then the serum GSH level was increased at 18 weeks after injury in the late HBOT group (mean, 1.49 μmol/L). However, there was only statistically significant difference at Weeks 18 (p = 0.916, p = 0.463, and p = 0.006, at Week 2, Week 10, and Week 18, respectively). Serum TBARS levels were decreased at 10 weeks after injury in the early HBOT group than in the late HBOT group and control group (mean, 11.21 μmol/L, 17.23 μmol/L, and 17.14 μmol/L, respectively). Then the serum TBARS level was decreased at 18 weeks after injury in the late HBOT group (mean, 12.06 μmol/L). There was statistically significant difference after HBOT (p = 0.98, p = 0.007, and p = 0.018, at Week 2, Week 10, and Week 18, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups on sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels from Week 2 to Week 18. Conclusions: HBOT can improve serum oxidative stress in patients after TBI. These molecules may be added as evaluation markers in clinical practice. Perhaps in the future it may also become part of the treatment of patients after acute traumatic brain injury. Further large-scale study may be warrant.

Real-world effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae after carbon monoxide poisoning

To assess real-world effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning we conducted a retrospective review of patients with CO poisoning admitted to Linkou Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan’s largest medical center, during 2009–2015. We included patients developing DNS after CO poisoning and compared improvements in neuropsychiatric function, with and without HBOT, after 12 months post-DNS to understand differences in recovery rates. DNS improvement-associated factors were also evaluated. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to assess the role of time elapsed between DNS diagnosis and HBOT initiation in predicting DNS improvement. A total of 62 patients developed DNS, of whom 11 recovered while the rest did not. Possible factors predicting DNS improvement included receiving HBOT post-DNS (72.7% vs 25.5%; P = 0.006), and treatment with more than three HBOT sessions during acute stage CO poisoning (81.8% vs 27.5%; P = 0.003). The relevant area under the ROC curve was 0.789 (95% CI 0.603–0.974), and the best cut-off point was 3 days post-DNS diagnosis, with 87.5% sensitivity and 61.5% specificity. Early HBOT in patients who developed DNS after CO poisoning significantly improved their DNS symptoms, with treatment effects sustained for 1 year after DNS diagnosis.

The use of combined pharmacotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Aim: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) involves acute unexplained hearing loss, nearly always one-sided of 30dB or greater over at least three contiguous audiometric frequencies. The aetiology of SSNHL is mostly unknown. According to the literature, the causes include vascular, microbial and autoimmune problems. There is still no agreed standard treatment. The aim of the paper was to evaluate the results of combined pharmacotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with idiopathic sudden deafness. Material/Methods: The study was carried out on 40 patients with SSNHL. The patients were divided into two groups: group I – 24 patients treated with the combined pharmacotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy and group II – 16 patients treated only pharmacologically. The patients from Group 1 were treated in the Centre of Hyperbaric Therapy CREATOR Ltd. in Lodz, Poland. Each patient underwent 15 sessions in a hyperbaric chamber. In all patients, the percentage of hearing loss for the selected frequencies was assessed before and after the therapy according to Sabine and Fowler. Results: The group of 40 patie nts aged from 33 to 77 years (mean 52.4) included 21 females and 19 males. Group I consisted of 24 patients, 11 females and 13 males, group II consisted of 16 patients, 10 females, and 6 males. After therapy, the mean hearing level in all patients improved by 27.14%, in Group I – by 34.34%, in Group II – by 16.3%. Conclusions: Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with steroid therapy improves prognosis and shows good results in sudden hearing loss treatment.

P080 - Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves radiation induced hemorrhagic cystitis and proctitis

P080 - Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves radiation induced hemorrhagic cystitis and proctitis

Early hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves survival in a model of severe sepsis.

Sepsis is a major clinical challenge, with therapy limited to supportive interventions. Therefore, the search for novel remedial approaches is of great importance. We addressed whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) could improve the outcome of sepsis using an acute experimental mouse model. Sepsis was induced in male CD-1 mice by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) tailored to result in 80-90% mortality within 72 h of the insult. After CLP, mice were randomized into two groups receiving HBOT or not at different times after the initial insult or subjected to multiple HBOT treatments. HBOT conditions were 98% oxygen pressurized to 2.4 atmospheres for 1 h. HBOT within 1 h after CLP resulted in 52% survival in comparison with mice that did not receive the treatment (13% survival). Multiple HBOT at 1 and 6 h or 1, 6, and 21 h displayed an increase in survival of >50%, but they were not significantly different from a single treatment after 1 h of CLP. Treatments at 6 or 21 h after CLP, excluding the 1 h of treatment, did not show any protective effect. Early HBO treatment did not modify bacterial counts after CLP, but it was associated with decreased expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 expression in the liver within 3 h after CLP. The decrease of cytokine expression was reproduced in cultured macrophages after exposure to HBOT. Early HBOT could be of benefit in the treatment of sepsis, and the protective mechanism may be related to a reduction in the systemic inflammatory response.

Efficacy and Prognostic Factors of Combined Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Patients With Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Purpose Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a clinical emergency with an increased incidence of occurrence in recent years. Hyperbaric oxygen has been widely used in the clinical treatment of sudden hearing loss. However, prognostic factors related to its curative effects are still not clear, which hinders its clinical application. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and prognostic factors of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) plus drug therapies in the treatment of sudden hearing loss. Method Patients with sudden hearing loss who were treated with hyperbaric oxygen from April to October 2017 were retrospectively included. Clinical information was collected, including pure-tone audiometry data before and after hyperbaric oxygen treatment, age, gender, hearing curve classification, concomitant symptoms, history of diseases (diabetes and hypertension), history of hormone therapy, start time of hyperbaric oxygen treatment, and total number of hyperbaric oxygen treatments. The prognostic factors were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Sixty-four patients with sudden hearing loss were enrolled, including 7 cases of low-frequency loss, 4 cases of high-frequency loss, 32 cases of flat loss, and 21 cases of complete hearing loss. After HBOT, there were 16 cases (25%) of complete recovery, 15 cases (23.43%) of partial recovery, 7 cases (10.93%) of slight improvement, and 26 cases (40.63%) of no improvement. The total effective rate was 59.37%. Twelve of 21 cases (57.14%) of complete hearing loss showed recovery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the start time of HBOT ≤ 7 days from disease onset was independently associated with hearing recovery ( OR = 27.763, 95% CI [4.209, 183.115], p = .001). Conclusion Combined HBOT can improve the hearing impairment of sudden hearing loss. The early HBOT showed the most promising therapeutic effects, especially among patients with complete hearing loss.

Clinical Research of Early Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Patients with Hypertensive Cerebral Hemorrhage After Craniotomy.

To observe the effect of early hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on the improvement of consciousness and prognosis of patients with severe brain damages after craniocerebral craniotomy. Eighty-one patients who had cerebral hemorrhage and underwent clearance of hematoma and decompressive craniectomy from August 2013 to August 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into HBO and non-HBO therapy groups. The treatment effects were scored and subjected to corresponding statistical analysis. There were significant differences in the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores at 3 and 5 weeks (t=2.293 and t=3.014, respectively, p < 0.05), and in Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) scores at 5 weeks and 3 months between the two groups (p < 0.05). Early HBO therapy could improve the consciousness and prognosis of patients with cerebral hemorrhage after craniotomy.