HYPERBARIC-OXYGEN TREATMENT IN SAUDI-ARABIA

Objective: A review of the first 12 months' experience with a medical hyperbaric chamber. Design: A retrospective study of patients' medical charts. Setting, Subjects and intervention: Patients referred to the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre's Medical Hyperbar ic Service with defined medical and surgical conditions in which hyper baric oxygen treatment was considered to be adjunctive or definitive t herapy. Outcome Measures: The response of each patient's condition was assessed after hyperbaric oxygen treatment, as being completely succe ssful, partially successful, or to have failed. Results: A complete/pa rtial response was seen in 71/92 (77%) patients. Middle ear discomfort necessitating myringotomy occurred in 16/92 patients (17%). Conclusio n: Hyperbaric oxygen treatment appears to be a useful adjunctive thera py in the majority of patients with indications for treatment. II appe ars to be cost-effective particularly in patients with osteoradionecro sis.