Indication for hyperbaric oxygen treatment as a predictor of tympanostomy tube placement.

INTRODUCTION Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) has been utilized for many years for a multitude of disease entities. One commonly encountered side-effect is otic barotrauma. OBJECTIVE To determine if patients with specific disease processes are at increased risk of requiring tympanostomy tubes during HBO2. METHODS Data was obtained from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2004, retrospectively. The requirement for tympanostomy tubes during a course of HBO2 was established. RESULTS 325 met inclusion criteria. Fifteen percent of patients overall (95% CI= 11-19%) required tympanostomy tubes. Tubes were required in: 5% necrotizing soft tissue infection (p=0.33); 10% failed/threatened graft (p=0.39); 15% problem wounds; 17% chronic refractory osteomyelitis (CRO) (p=0.64); 22% soft tissue radionecrosis (STRN)/osteoradionecrosis (ORN) (p=0.02); 33% of crush injuries (p=0.10). Twenty-nine percent of nasopharyngeal radiation injury patients (p=0.001) and 10% of the non-nasopharyngeal radiation patients (p=0.36) received tympanostomy tubes. CONCLUSION A significant increase in tympanostomy tubes were required in nasopharyngeal radiation injury patients.