Use of hyperbaric oxygenation as an adjunctive treatment for severe pernicious anaemia in a bloodless medicine patient

Abstract

Severe anaemia in patients who cannot receive blood transfusion is an indication for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Most reports of the use of HBO for anaemia involve patients with acute blood loss. This report details a case of HBO used for a patient with severe pernicious anaemia. A 35-year-old Jehovah’s Witnesses believer presented to a hospital with fatigue, dyspnoea and haemoglobin of 26 g/L. She was diagnosed with pernicious anaemia. As she could not receive blood transfusion due to her religious beliefs, vitamin B12 supplementation and HBO were administered and resulted in significant improvement in her condition. The mechanisms of action of HBO, including increased systemic plasma oxygenation, can alleviate signs and symptoms of anaemia regardless of its aetiology. HBO administration can greatly enhance the plasma arterial oxygen content, leading to clinical improvement in patients with anaemia who cannot receive blood transfusion.

Oxygen Therapy to Enhance Wound Healing After Revascularization

“…46 This 42% of additional plasma oxygen can replace the function of hemoglobin for oxygen transporting made HBOT can be used as a bridging treatment for severe anemia patients as one of the indications of HBOT treatment by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. 47 The high oxygen concentration in blood plasma runs to all areas of the body and supplies oxygen to the cells by diffusion effect even in low blood supply area or too small intravascular diameter for RBCs to travel past that caused by the severe stenosis of the blood vessel. HBOT can provide oxygen to correct the hypoxic state that activates many cells, substances, and enzymes to resume their functions.…”