Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Diabetic Foot Ulcer; a Clinical Study

Introduction:One of the most common diabetes complications is diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). Besides conventional treatments, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is known as an adjunctive therapy for DFU. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of HBOT and possible risk factors. Methods:This study was conducted in two hyperbaric clinics of Bahar and Khatam, respectively in Isfahan and Tehran, Iran, between September 2016 and September 2017. Eligible participants underwent 100% oxygen at 2 to 2.5 atmosphere absolute for 90 to 120 minutes daily (five days per week). Data were analyzed with SPSS version 24.0. Results: The recovery rate was 69% in 58 enrolled patients and had a significant direct association with good glycemic control status, before (p <0.01) and during HBOT (P < 0.01), and low-grade ulcers (P= 0.04). The mean number of HBOT sessions of the cured patients (21.5±17.1) was significantly higher than that of the not cured patients (11.3 ± 7.9) (P= 0.02). However, the recovery rate had no significant association with the type of ulcer (P= 0.1). Conclusion: HBOT had good efficacy and a high recovery rate in DFU treatment. Given the fact that good glycemic control status reduces the incidence of ulcers, this study showed that it increased the DFU recovery rate under HBOT.