Diving Hyperb Med
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of childhood autism: a randomised controlled trial.
Promising results with hyperbaric therapy for children with autism have been reported, but most involved the use of only mild pressure with oxygen supplementation. To date, there has been no randomised, blinded trial of 100% oxygen administered at hyperbaric pressure. This study evaluated the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). ⋯ Children with autism who received 20 sessions of either HBOT or a sham air exposure had significant improvements in overall behaviour but there were no significant differences in improvement between groups. The inconsistent changes on CGI sub-scores between parents and clinicians are difficult to interpret, but no overall clinically significant benefit from HBOT could be shown. Both interventions were safe and well tolerated with minimal side effect from middle ear barotraumas.
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Comparative Study
Monitoring carbon dioxide in mechanically ventilated patients during hyperbaric treatment.
Measurement of the arterial carbon dioxide (P(a)CO(2)) is an established part of the monitoring of mechanically ventilated patients. Other ways to get information about carbon dioxide in the patient are measurement of end-tidal carbon dioxide (P(ET)CO(2)) and transcutaneous carbon dioxide (PTCCO2). Carbon dioxide in the blood and cerebral tissue has great influence on vasoactivity and thereby blood volume of the brain. We have found no studies on the correlation between P(ET)CO(2) or P(TC)CO(2), and P(a)CO(2) during hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). ⋯ During hyperbaric conditions we found that P(ET)CO(2) as opposed to P(TC)CO(2) offered the greater precision, but there was great variability among patients. Care must be taken when using P(ET)CO(2) or P(TC)CO(2) as an estimate of P(a)CO(2).