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As the UHMS observes the distinguished anniversar y of the publication of 50 volumes of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal, two of our past editors take a look at the evolution of our flagship publications. DOI: 10.22462/01.01.2023.22 https://www.uhms.org/uhm-search/uhm-journal-volume-50-2023/number-1/volume-50-the-uhm-journal-celebrates-a-milestone-with-the-publication-of-this-issue.html

Acute carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication may result in delayed neurological sequelae, which can include amnesia, ataxia, aphasia, emotional lability, disorientation, dysphagia, and other manifestations. A 27-year-old man reported symptoms of aphasia with agraphia and alexia in a review after CO intoxication. The patient received outpatient speech therapy, as well as repeated sessions of hyperbaric oxygen for 15 days, interspersing speech therapy with hyperbaric oxygen therapy for two months. After this period of combined treatment the aphasic symptomatology remitted, and oral and written language was normal. The complete disappearance of aphasia with agraphia and alexia confirms the efficacy of the combined intervention. More data from large clinical studies are needed to assess the outcomes of hyperbaric oxygen treatment in patients with delayed neurological sequelae after CO intoxication, but this case suggests it may be a good therapeutic option in combination with specific speech therapy. DOI:  10.22462/01.01.2023.15  https://www.uhms.org/uhm-search/uhm-journal-volume-50-2023/number-1/speech-therapy-and-hyperbaric-oxygen-for-aphasia-after-carbon-monoxide-intoxication.html

Introduction: Radiation therapy to the pelvis can result in radiation-induced vaginal soft tissue necrosis. This significantly impacts quality of life. Studies evaluating the efficacy of HBO2 are limited.Methods: In this retrospective report, we reviewed the medical records of patients treated with once-daily HBO2 for radiation-induced vaginal soft tissue necrosis. We included females between the ages of 18 to 90 with history of pelvic cancer treated with radiotherapy and resultant soft tissue radionecrosis. Data collected included age, comorbid disease, cancer type, radiation dose, HBO2 treatment pressure, time, and total treatments. Primary outcome was improvement of radionecrosis; secondary outcomes were improvement of pelvic pain, reduction in need for analgesia, and improvement of vaginal bleeding. Results: Seven patients were identified, of which six received HBO2. One patient had a vaginal fistula. Four patients had documented improvement of radionecrosis. Four out of five patients with pelvic pain had resolution of their pain, with two patients no longer requiring opioid analgesia. Two patients who presented with vaginal bleeding showed improvement with one resolved and one significantly decreased requiring no further hospitalization or transfusion. One patient experienced no documented improvement in any of the measured outcomes. Conclusion: In this case series, five out of six (83%) patients treated with HBO2 for radiation-induced vaginal necrosis improved in at least one ..

Background and objective: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) has been the subject of research in many areas of dentistry. HBO2 seems to be a useable, additional treatment method. However, there are still no certain conclusions and clear guidelines for procedures. The aim of the study was to collect current literature assessing the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of periodontitis. Materials and Methods: The following review was performed using medical databases Medline via PubMed and Google Scholar. The review presents articles which assess the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in combination with non-surgical scaling and root planing (SRP) in patients with periodontitis as an adjunctive method to standard protocols. Results: There are potentially plausible mechanisms by which HBO2 could be beneficial. Further welldesigned science research and clinical trials are needed. Due to a small body of literature, differences in methodology and observation periods the data are not sufficient for statistical analysis. Conclusion: The use of HBO2 seems to be reasonable as an adjunct method of the periodontitis treatment. However, authors of this literature review could not unambiguously state that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be commonly recommended as a potential method of periodontitis treatment. It is essential to develop consistent protocols for the ..

Introduction: Deep second-degree burn injuries are the most challenging situations for the burn surgeon in the treatment of adult cases. While waiting for spontaneous closure increases the risk of hypertrophic scar and keloid, early excision and grafting pose the risk of donor site wound and permanent color differences. Unlike many studies in the literature, the current study was planned in a way to minimize factors other than burn wounds to investigate the effect of adding hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy to conventional treatment in deep second-degree burn wounds. Material and Method: This prospective observational study included patients with burn injuries who underwent conventional treatment alone and those who underwent conventional plus HBO2 treatment performed by a single experienced surgeon and who met the study criteria. Results: Thirty-eight patients completed the study. Mean burned total body surface area (TBSA) was. 9.22 Å}3 43% (range 5% to 20%). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of age, burned TBSA, and burn etiology. The need for surgery and grafting was lower in patients who received HBO2 in addition to conventional treatment (p=0.003 and p=0.03, respectively). The patients in the HBO2 group had a shorter hospital stay, and their wounds epithelialized in a shorter time (p=0.169 and p<0.001, respectively). They also had a higher satisfaction ..

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating and destructive disease for which limited therapeutic options exist. Objective: This report summarizes serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings from nine study participants treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy and expands upon an earlier pilot study that showed improvement in disease activity and joint pain as determined by multiple, validated clinical measures. Methods: Rheumatoid arthritis patients received 30 hyperbaric oxygen treatments over six to 10 weeks. MRI with and without contrast was completed at baseline, and at three- and six-month intervals following initiation of HBO2 therapy. Ratings were based on Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (RAMRIS) criteria, the standard method for quantification of inflammation and damage by MRI in RA trials. Results: Using RAMRIS criteria, nine of nine patients demonstrated no radiologic progression of erosions, synovitis, or bone marrow edema at three- and six-month scans. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that HBO2 therapy may be useful as an adjunctive or alternative treatment to disease-modifying drugs for rheumatoid arthritis. DOI: 10.22462/01.01.2023.19 https://www.uhms.org/uhm-search/uhm-journal-volume-50-2023/number-1/the-effects-of-hyperbaric-oxygen-on-mri-findings-in-rheumatoid-arthritis-a-pilot-study.html

Background: Doppler ultrasound is used currently in decompression research for the evaluation of venous gas emboli (VGE). Estimation of heart rate from post-dive Doppler ultrasound recordings can provide a tool for the evaluation of physiological changes from decompression stress, as well as aid in the development of automated VGE detection algorithms that relate VGE presence to cardiac activity. Method: An algorithm based on short-term autocorrelation was developed in MATLAB to estimate the heart rate in post-dive precordial Doppler ultrasound. The algorithm was evaluated on 21 previously acquired and labeled precordial recordings spanning Kisman-Masurel (KM) codes of 111–444 (KM I–IV) with manually derived instantaneous heart rates. Results: A window size of at least two seconds was necessary for robust and accurate instantaneous heart rate estimation with a mean error of 1.56 Å} 7.10 bpm. Larger window sizes improved the algorithm performance, at the cost of beat-to-beat heart rate estimates. We also found that our algorithm provides good results for low KM grade Doppler recordings with and without flexion, and high KM grades without flexion. High KM grades observed after movement produced the greatest mean absolute error of 6.12 Å} 8.40 bpm. Conclusion: We have developed a fully automated algorithm for the estimation of heart rate in post-dive precordial Doppler ultrasound recordings. DOI: 10.22462/01.01.2023.20 https://www.uhms.org/uhm-search/uhm-journal-volume-50-2023/number-1/a-fully-automated-algorithm-for-heart-rate-detection-in-post-dive-precordial-doppler-ultrasound.html

This case report describes the successful management of an out-of-hospital arrest in a diver following a suspected arterial gas embolism (AGE). It illustrates both the inherent risks of diving and the importance of prompt and effective implementation of the “chain of survival” from bystanders. Rapid on-scene responses from paramedics and helicopter emergency medical services facilitated prompt evacuation to a Category 1 (multiplace) recompression chamber (RCC) where specialists in cardiology and hyperbaric medicine were available. Alternative causes of cardiac arrest were considered, with a presumed AGE successfully treated with multiple rounds of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The key factors which led to this successful outcome are discussed, including early recognition and call for help, competent cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and direct evacuation to a Category 1 RCC, with additional consideration of the diagnosis leading to cardiac arrest. The case clearly illustrates the need for all those involved in diving regularly to be competent and confident in performing basic life support, as well as the awareness of the emergency services of the need for diving casualties to be treated at appropriate hyperbaric facilities. Were it not for the simple, prompt and effective treatment this diver received, both on scene and in hospital, it is highly unlikely that such a positive outcome would have been achieved. DOI: 10.22462/01.01.2023.21 https://www.uhms.org/uhm-search/uhm-journal-volume-50-2023/number-1/cardiac-arrest-in-diving-the-key-to-success.html

The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on bladder symptoms of female patients with overactive bladder The abstract in the above-named paper, which appeared on page 383 of the 49(3) issue, contained an error. It read: “The mean changes in the ICIQ-SF, OAB-V8, and IIQ-7 scores in the third month of treatment in Group 1 were 4.12 ± ...”  This first number should be “–4.12” – i.e., a negative value. DOI: 10.22462/01.01.2023.23