ENT indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

P. Germonpre, P. Levie, C. Dehalleux, D. Caers

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    Abstract

    ENT indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) therapy is a treatment where patients breathe 100% oxygen while exposed to high environmental pressure in a hyperbaric chamber. This hyperoxygenation has several beneficial effects as an adjunctive treatment in a number of ENT-related conditions and diseases. These can be summarized as anti-ischaemic effects (delivery of oxygen to otherwise ischaemic tissues, reduction of ischaemia-reperfusion damage), anti-infectious effects (bacteriostasis, improved leucocyte phagocytosis bactericidal activity and optimization of antibiotic therapy) and wound-healing effects (stimulation of granulation tissue formation and stabilization). Since HBO therapy has a clear physiologic rationale, a demonstrated effect (although difficult to "prove" with placebo controlled randomized trials) in certain indications and certain side-effects, it is proposed that it should be considered an integral part of the (combined surgical and pharmacological) treatment of patients, and not simply as a supplementation of oxygen. Furthermore, the importance of a well-trained medical and technical staff to ensure proper selection and the correct follow-up of patients should not be underestimated.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)87-106
    Number of pages20
    JournalB-ENT
    Issue number1
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2016

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