Hyperbaric oxygen in diabetic gangrene treatment

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Diabetology
• Wound Healing

Background:

• Diabetic foot ulcers are a major cause of lower limb amputations.
• Patients often present with multiple complications including retinopathy, neuropathy, and macroangiopathy.
• Standard treatment may not be sufficient for severe gangrenous lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as an adjunct treatment for diabetic foot gangrene.
• To compare amputation rates in patients treated with and without HBOT.
• To assess the relationship between lesion size and HBOT treatment duration.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving two groups of hospitalized diabetic patients with foot gangrene.
• Both groups received strict metabolic control and daily debridement.
• One group received daily hyperbaric oxygen treatments, while the control group did not.

Main Results:

• 16 out of 18 patients treated with HBOT healed, with only 2 requiring amputation.
• In the non-HBOT group, only 1 patient improved, while 4 required amputation.
• A significant difference (P = .001) in outcomes was observed between the groups, with HBOT drastically reducing amputations.

Conclusions:

• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a highly effective adjunctive treatment for diabetic foot gangrene.
• HBOT significantly reduces the rate of lower limb amputations in diabetic patients.
• Treatment duration for HBOT is related to the size of the gangrenous lesions.