Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on experimental burn wound healing in rats: a randomized controlled study

A body of data supports the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy in the treatment of thermal burns, but the role of HBO2 in the treatment of burn injury remains a subject of controversy. The aim of this study was to evaluate possible positive effects of HBO2 on the experimental burn wound healing. Deep second degree burns were produced on the depilated backs of 70 male Wistar rats using a validated burn protocol. The animals were assigned randomly to one of two groups: 35 to the control group, which was treated with silver sulphadiazine and placebo gas, and 35 to the experimental group, which was treated with silver sulphadiazine and HBO2. The main outcome measure was wound healing, characterized by formation of post-burn edema, neoangiogenesis, number of regeneratory active follicles, necrosis staging, margination of leukocytes, and time of epithelization. A significant reduction of the post-burn edema after treatment with HBO2 (p = 0.009) was found. HBO2 had a beneficial effect on neoangiogenesis (p = 0.009). The number of preserved regeneratory active follicles was significantly higher (p = 0.009) and epithelial regeneration was more rapid in the experimental group (p = 0.048). There were no significant differences for margination of leukocytes (p = 0.55) or necrosis staging (p = 1.00). These data further support earlier conclusions that HBO2 is beneficial in the healing of burn wounds.