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Table 2 Studies of HBOT in ulcerative colitis

From: Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and analysis

Author, year, country

Type of study

Number of patients improved/number treated

HBOT parameters

Side effects

Comments/outcomes

Buchman et al. 2001 [12], USA

Case report

1/1

2.0 ATA 100% oxygen; 2 h duration; 5 days per week; 30 total treatments

NR

Pancolonic ulcerative colitis refractory to conventional medical treatments (corticosteroids for 22 months, 6-mercaptopurine, mesalamine and tetracycline); significant improvements and clinical remission with HBOT (effect lasted 2 months)

Demirturk et al. 2002 [50], Turkey

Case series†

2/2; one from (Hulagu et al. 1997) [52]

2.0 ATA 100% oxygen; 2 h duration; 30 days of treatment

none

Pancolitis in 2 patients with ulcerative colitis was refractory to standard medical treatments (mesalamine and prednisolone); in the first patient during the third week of HBOT, significant improvements were observed; in second patient, improvements observed within 2 weeks; resolution of bloody diarrhea noted in both cases

Gurbuz et al. 2003 [51], Turkey

Case report; letter to editor

1/1

2.0 ATA 100% oxygen; 2 h duration; 35 days of treatment

NR

Left-sided ulcerative colitis was refractory to standard medical treatments (5-amino salicylic acid, methylprednisolone and azathioprine); improvements and clinical remission observed with HBOT after 2 weeks of treatment; remission lasted for at least 6 months

Hulagu et al. 1997 [52], Turkey

Case report

1/1

2.0 ATA 100% oxygen; 2 h duration; 1 treatment per day for 30 days

none

Patient had ulcerative pancolitis; exacerbation was refractory to standard medical treatments (mesalazine and total parenteral nutrition); by third week of HBOT, "definite improvement" observed

Karkumov et al. 1991 [53], Bulgaria

Case series††

34/34

10-12 treatments at 60-75 min; other parameters not reported

NR

All patients had chronic ulcerohemorrhagic colitis; all patients improved after first 5-6 treatments

Kuroki et al. 1998 [54], Japan

Case report

1/1

2 ATA; 60 min duration; 1 treatment per day; 27 days

none

Patient had refractory ulcerative colitis and toxic megacolon (failed antibiotics and intravenous prednisolone); IL-6 dropped from 13.2 to 7.2 pg/ml after 1 HBOT session; significant clinical improvements after third day of HBOT

  1. NR not reported
  2. † contained patient(s) from a previous study
  3. †† only the abstract was in English