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Pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Victoria, 1998-2010

Geoff P Frawley1, Andrew Fock

  • 1From the Alfred Hyperbaric Unit, Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Australia.

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine : a Journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies
|May 31, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a feasible treatment for pediatric patients with serious illnesses, showing a low complication rate. Coordinating care with intensive management presents the main challenge for pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Hyperbaric medicine
  • Clinical outcomes research

Background:

  • Pediatric patients with significant illnesses require specialized hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
  • The Alfred hyperbaric unit serves pediatric cases, necessitating evaluation of treatment outcomes and complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify clinical conditions treated in pediatric patients at the Alfred hyperbaric unit.
  • To describe treatment outcomes and complications in this pediatric population.
  • To detail complications during treatment or inter-unit transfers.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective, noncontrolled clinical study design.
  • Analysis of pediatric patients (<16 years) referred for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) between 1998 and 2010.
  • HBOT administered at pressures of 2.0-3.0 atmospheres absolute.

Main Results:

  • 668 HBOT sessions were provided to 54 pediatric patients (median age 15 years).
  • Overall complication rate was 6.6% in the general pediatric group and 9.6% in the pediatric intensive care unit group.
  • Specific complications included oxygen toxicity convulsions (0.3%), progressive hypoxemia (0.3%), and brief hypotension (0.6%).

Conclusions:

  • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is feasible for critically ill children with a low risk of adverse events.
  • Coordinating HBOT with surgical and intensive care management is a significant challenge.
  • Lack of dedicated pediatric facilities in hyperbaric units often requires patient transfers.
Abstract

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