Pediatric hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Victoria, 1998-2010

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.