[Beliefs of Croatian surgeons and internists on hyperbaric oxygenation--a preliminary report]

Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) has been accepted in many countries as a method of treatment in selected indications, but in Croatia it is still perceived with skepticism.

To determine beliefs, knowledge, and possible experience of Croatian surgeons and internists with HBO.

An anonymous questionnaire was applied to test surgeons (N=56; 45%) and internists (N=68; 55%), employed in general hospitals in Zadar, Sibenik, Split, and Dubrovnik, Republic of Croatia. We believed that the subjects had been previously exposed to information campaigns about HBO and its clinical applications, and should have been informed about the method at a level enabling correct establishment of indications and routine usage of HBO in clinical practice.

The majority of study subjects (N=66; 53%) had very little or no information at all about HBO and half of them (N=50; 40%) had no experience in its application. Almost all (N=123; 99%) subjects considered the method valuable in the treatment of decompression sickness, 56 subjects (45%) considered the method efficient in carbon monoxide poisoning, 31 (25%) in cerebral arterial gas embolism, 87 (70%) in problem wounds, and 70 (56%) in gas gangrene. The only statistically significant difference between the two groups of subjects was recorded in case of cerebral arterial gas embolism (chi2 = 7.26, P = 0.007), which was recognized as an indication for HBO by more internists (N=23) than surgeons (N=8).

Insufficient understanding of HBO amongst Croatian surgeons and internists is probably the consequence of several factors, of which most important probably are insufficient curricula of undergraduate studies and residencies, as well as administrative obstacles. A small number of responders and polled hospitals necessarily resulted in a significant bias, so additional studies are necessary to shed more light on the issue.