Use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in T2 diabetics with pelvic lesions. Clinical experience

Background

The World Health Organisation indicates that the number of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus is more than 366 million and is expected to increase to 552 million by 2030, i.e., 8.3% of the total adult population. Each year, 14.9% of patients with this disease experience plantar ulcers, which in most cases are resistant to standard treatments. Of these, 15–20% require radical amputation within five years of diagnosis.

Material and methods

This is a retrospective study reviewing the records of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and complications from lower limb injuries. We selected 220 records of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and lower limb injuries, undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We grouped wounds according to the Wagner Grading System and classified them according to the Skeik Modified Scale to determine the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on the healing time of wounds. By way of comparison, the study was divided a second time, adjusting the initial population so as to include only cases that benefited from HBOT.

Results

Overall improvement was achieved in 149 patients (67.7%), with a greater response in Wagner stages II and III. In patients who received 16–30 sessions, it was found that 77 (64.16%) maintained their improvement and only 43 (28.85%) had a relapse.

Conclusions

At the end of the study, we found that HBOT is favourable and permanent in 52.72% of patients, seeing temporary improvement in 15%. This opens up the possibility of new developments that successfully determine suitable selective parameters and lead to a speedy recovery.