Feres O, Feitosa MR, Ribeiro da Rocha JJ, Miranda JM, Dos Santos LE, Féres AC, de Camargo HP, Parra RS, et al.
Medical gas research. Date of publication 2021 Jan 1;volume 11(1):18-23.
1. Med Gas Res. 2021 Jan-Mar;11(1):18-23. doi: 10.4103/2045-9912.310055.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy decreases mortality due to Fournier's gangrene: a
retrospective comparative study.
Feres O(1), Feitosa MR(1), Ribeiro da Rocha JJ(1), Miranda JM(1), Dos Santos
LE(1), Féres AC(1), de Camargo HP(1), Parra RS(1).
Author information:
(1)Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University
of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
There is no consensus about the role of adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy
(HBOT) in the management of Fournier's gangrene. The aim of this study was to
compare the evolution of patients with Fournier's gangrene treated with all
classical measures with and without adjuvant HBOT. A retrospective comparative
study regarding the evolution of patients treated for Fournier's gangrene was
conducted in two periods. In period I, from 1990 to 2002, patients received
standard treatments for Fournier's gangrene, which consisted of surgical
debridement, antibiotic therapy and intensive care. In period II, from 2012 to
2019, adjunctive HBOT was added to the classical management strategy. All
patients were assigned into four groups according to the anatomical severity
classification and the area affected after the first debridement. This
classification ensured that the groups could be comparable. The total number of
patients in this study was 197, and these patients were divided into control
group (118/59.9%) and HBOT group (79/40.1%). The mean age, comorbidities, and
anatomical severity classification were similar between the two groups. In
period I, 34 out of 118 (28.8%) patients died, while in the HBOT group, 3 out of
77 (3.7%) patients died (P < 0.001). The use of adjuvant HBOT in combination
with classical treatment was associated with reduced mortality. This study was
approved by the Institutional Review Board and the Ethics Committee of Ribeirão
Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil (No. 08/2018) on May 2,
2018.
DOI: 10.4103/2045-9912.310055
PMCID: PMC8103972
PMID: 33642333 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
Conflict of interest statement: None
