Some Non-Healing Wounds

Problem wounds are those that don't respond to established medical/surgical management. Problem wounds may include diabetic foot, vascular insufficiency ulcers, non-healing traumatic wounds, and compromised amputation sites. Impaired healing is more common in the elderly because of slower epithelialization, and in systemically or locally compromised hosts. Approximately five million Americans suffer from non-healing wounds that may become infected, gangrenous, or require amputation.

Benefits From Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

  • HBOT promotes growth of new blood vessels (neovascularization). New vasculature for healing needs a supporting structure of collagen. The collagen production and incorporation process needs oxygen.
  • Increased oxygen tension allows greater capillary oxygen diffusion distances and increases oxygen-dependant killing of anaerobes by leukocytes.
  • HBOT is appropriate with many of the other adjunct therapies that help in wound healing.

Wound Healing By the Numbers:

Author Year No. of patients Success rate
Baroni et al 1987 26 83%
Oriani et al 1992 80 96%
Faglia et al 1996 68 92.4%
Zamboni et al 1997 5 100%

Diabetes, Diabetic Foot

Case Studies: