Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on healing of diabetic foot ulcers.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used as an adjunct to standard wound care in the treatment of diabetic patients with foot ulcers. We undertook a prospective, randomized investigation of the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy versus standard therapy for the treatment of foot ulcers in diabetic patients. A number of demographic variables were analyzed in regard to wound healing. We noted that foot ulcers in patients in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy group were more likely to heal, and were more likely to undergo amputation distal to the metatarsophalangeal joint compared with those patients receiving standard therapy without hyperbaric oxygen. We feel that hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be considered a useful adjunct in the management of foot ulcers in diabetic patients.