Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Children with Brain Injury: A Retrospective Case Series

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Hyperbaric Medicine
• Neurorehabilitation

Background:

• Experimental studies suggest hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) benefits brain injury.
• Clinical evidence for HBOT in pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is limited.
• This study assesses HBOT's efficacy in pediatric brain injury rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically evaluate the effectiveness of HBOT in improving disability symptoms in children with brain injuries.
• To determine the therapeutic potential and clinical benefits of HBOT for pediatric brain injury patients.
• To explore the impact of timing of HBOT initiation on patient response.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 21 pediatric patients with brain injuries (TBI, HIE, ischemic stroke) received HBOT.
• Patient outcomes were assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) pre- and post-HBOT.
• Response to HBOT was categorized as clinically significant response (CSR), partial response (MID), or non-response.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in GCS (p=0.004) and GOS (p<0.001) were observed post-HBOT.
• 66% of patients showed a clinically significant or partial response to HBOT.
• Initiating HBOT within 4 weeks of injury correlated with a better patient response (p=0.02).

Conclusions:

• HBOT demonstrates statistically significant clinical efficacy in pediatric patients with brain injuries.
• Earlier initiation of HBOT (within 4 weeks) is associated with more pronounced patient responses.
• HBOT is a feasible treatment option for pediatric patients in specialized hyperbaric centers.