01/14/2016    

DIABETES RESEARCH

HBOT Does Not Reduce Indications for Amputation in Non-healing Diabetic Ulcers 

 

Patients with diabetes and foot lesions (Wagner grade 2-4) of at least 4 weeks duration participated in this study. In addition to comprehensive wound care, participants were randomly assigned to receive 30 daily sessions of 90 min of HBOT (breathing oxygen at 244 kPa) or sham (breathing air at 125 kPa). Patients, physicians, and researchers were blinded to group assignments. At 12 weeks post-randomization, the primary outcome was freedom from meeting the criteria for amputation as assessed by a vascular surgeon. Secondary outcomes were measures of wound healing.

 

Results and Conclusions: One hundred fifty-seven patients were assessed for eligibility, with 107 randomly assigned and 103 available for end point adjudication. Twelve (22%) patients in the sham group and 10 (20%) in the HBOT group were healed (0.90 [0.35, 2.31], P = 0.823). All other indices of wound healing were also not statistically significantly different between groups. HBOT does not offer an additional advantage to comprehensive wound care in reducing the indication for amputation or facilitating wound healing in patients with chronic DFUs. 

 

Source: Fedorko L, et al. Diabetes Care 2016 via PubMed via Dr. Allen Jacobs