Summary:
Introduction: The therapeutic use of oxygen under pressure
is known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and has been
used to assist wound healing for almost 40 years. The purpose
of the present study was to see the outcome of hyperbaric
oxygen therapy following its use in non healing wounds.
Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted
in the Department of Plastic Surgery, Dhaka Medical College
Hospital, Dhaka, from March 2016 to February 2017 for a
period of 12 (twelve) months. The study was carried out on
patients with non healing wounds. Patients were initially
assessed with detailed history, clinical examination and
investigations, and then treated with hyperbaric oxygen
therapy for 90 minutes per session in 6 days a week for 25
cycles. Wound was assessed clinically, and with
transcutaneous oximetry and laboratory investigations.
Results: Eighty patients were included, where 52 (65.0%)
patients had diabetic ulcer, followed by post traumatic
wound (14) and venous ulcer (7). Fifty nine (73.75%)
patients had initial wound size of < 50 cm2 with mean size
14.78 ± 12.5 cm2. Wound size reduction rate after 15 cycles
of HBOT was 42.78%, and after 25 cycles of HBOT it was
61.21%. Among the 80 patients, 60 (75.0%) had moderate
amount of discharge before HBOT; 19 (31.67%) & 25
(41.67%) reduced to small & no discharge after 25 cycles
of HBOT respectively. 39 (48.75%) patients had
serosanguineous discharge before HBOT, followed by 36
(45.0%) and 5 (6.25%) patients with purulent and serous
discharge. Among the 39 patients with serosanguineous
discharge, 15 (38.46%) & 20 (51.28%) patients had serous
& no discharge after 25 cycles of HBOT respectively. Before
starting HBOT, mean transcutaneous oximetry was 58.26
± 3.84 mmHg, and it was 62.1 ± 6.27 mmHg and 66.92
7.52 mmHg after 15 and 25 cycles of HBOT respectively.
Conclusion: So it can be stated that the hyperbaric oxygen
therapy is a good option in treating different non healing
wounds.
Key words : Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Non healing
wounds.
(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2019; 37: 109-118)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v37i3.41732