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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy In Necrotizing Fasciitis (Visit Resource)
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy In Necrotizing Fasciitis: Panacea, Useful Adjunct, or Nostrum? J. Jeffrey Brown, MD "...hyperbaric oxygen has drawn a dramatic line between those who do not have a hyperbaric chamber and are skeptic, and those who do have one and believe." TK Hunt(1) The overall mortality rate of patients with necrotizing fasciitis approaches 40%.(2) Hollabough et al.(3) have reported their experiences with the use of adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) and reduced the mortality rates in patients with Fournier's gangrene from 42% (5/12) in those who did not receive HBO to 7% (1/14) in those treated with HBO. While it might seem that the surgical community would embrace a treatment modality that promised such a dramatic benefit, the fact is that skepticism seems to be the prevailing sentiment in most major surgical texts and review articles. Namely, that until the results of prospective randomized trials are reported the use of HBO in necrotizing soft tissue infections must be considered only potentially useful. Unfortunately, Hollabaugh's study does not meet these rigid criteria.
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Added: Sun Apr 02 2006
