The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of hand crush injuries

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used as an adjuvant treatment for crush injury because it can improve tissue hypoxia and stimulate wound healing. However, the actual role of HBOT in crush hand injury is still unknown. This study is to assess the efficacy of HBOT for crush hand patients, as well as the impact of HBOT initiation timing. Between 2018 and 2021, 72 patients with crush hand injury were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into the HBOT and control group, and each group had 36 patients. The average session of HBOT was 18.2 (5-32 sessions) per patient, and no patient had a complication related to the treatment. The two groups had similar demographics, but HBOT group had larger injured area (73.6 +/- 51.0 vs. 48.2 +/- 45.5 cm2, p = 0.03). To better control the confounding factors, we performed the subgroup analysis with cut-off injured area of 50 cm2. In the patients with smaller injured area (<= 50 cm2), the HBOT group had shorter wound healing time (29.9 +/- 12.9 vs. 41.0 +/- 18.9 days, p = 0.03). The early HBOT group (first session <= 72 h post-operatively) had shorter hospital stay (8.1 +/- 6.4 vs. 15.5 +/- 11.4 days, p = 0.04), faster wound healing (28.7 +/- 17.8 vs. 41.1 +/- 18.1 days, p = 0.08) and less operations (1.54 +/- 0.78 vs. 2.41 +/- 1.62, p = 0.06) although the latter two didn't achieve statistical significance. HBOT is safe and effective in improving wound healing of hand crush injury. Early intervention of HBOT may be more beneficial. Future research is required to provide more evidence.