Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for treating acute surgical and traumatic wounds

The medical use of oxygen: a time for critical reappraisal

“…For both diabetic wounds and radiation injuries, HBO should be used in conjunction with standard wound care management techniques; HBO is likely to be ineffective in the absence of appropriate surgical care . In the setting of acute surgical and traumatic wounds (including burns, see below), the findings of a Cochrane review are less conclusive , whereas those of another contemporary review tend to be more positive . The latest Cochrane review, although including a positive effect of HBO on difficult to heal wounds in the short term, did raise concerns regarding the lack of evidence to support HBO use for long‐term treatment, especially as the underlying illness causing the wound is unlikely to be affected by the treatment itself .…”

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on uncomplicated incisional and open wound healing in dogs

“…The use of HBOT as a treatment for complicated wounds in man, such as diabetic ulcers, compromised skin grafts, thermal burns, and acute burn or crush injury wounds, has been well documented and found to improve healing effectively . There is limited research published on its use in animals, with some reporting a benefit on granulation tissue and wound size, whereas others report no effect …”

“…Investigative evidence regarding the efficacy of this therapy for any type of wound healing in dogs is lacking; however, recent data have been published on its safety and physiologic effects of improved tissue and arterial and transcutaneous oxygenation . Currently, use of HBOT as an adjunct to any wound healing in dogs is based on subjective or anecdotal evidence evaluating complicated wounds in dogs, and research studies evaluating complicated wounds in rabbits, rats, and man . The major deficit in the veterinary literature is the lack of prospective, randomized evaluations of the effects of HBOT on wound healing in dogs.…”

Empty Toe Phenomenon: A Rare Presentation of Closed Degloving Injury of the Foot

“…In a 2013 Cochrane review, hyperbaric oxygen treatment of crush injuries was reviewed (21). The study by Bouachour et al (22) met their criteria.…”