Are pulmonary bleb and bullae a contraindication for hyperbaric oxygen treatment?

Background: Air cysts or blebs in the lungs may predispose pulmonary barotrauma (PBT) by causing air trapping when there is a change in environmental pressure. The changes in the environmental pressure are also seen during hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBOT). Aim: The aim of this study was to determine how patients were evaluated for pulmonary Webs or bullae, and PBT prevalence in different HBOT centers. Methods: HBOT centers were asked to participate in this study and a questionnaire was send via e-mail. A total of 98 centers responded to our questionnaire. Results: Sixty-five HBOT centers (66.3%) reported that they applied HBOT to the patients with air cysts in their lungs. X-ray was the most widely used screening method for patients with a history of a tung disease. The prevalence of PBT in theses centers was calculated as 0.00045%. Conclusions: Our survey demonstrated that (1) a significant portion of the HBO centers accept patients with pulmonary bleb or bullae, (2) although insufficient, X-ray is the mostly used screening tool. for patients with a history of pulmonary disease and (3) the prevalence of pulmonary barotrauma is very low in HBOT. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.