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Oxygen is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent
and asthma has been successfully treated by oxygen, especially at
increased atmospheric pressure. The Russians presented data on the
successful treatment of asthma in the International Congress Moscow
1981. Over the last 19 years operating high dosage oxygen therapy in
the community many patients with MS in our charity have also had
asthma and have found a much-reduced requirement for inhalers. NONE
of the patients have had chest radiographs but of course all have
had gas trapping in the lung. (It is not possible to remove it all
by exhalation) We do advise patients if they have severe colds to
use a decongestant, but the inflammation is considerably helped by
oxygen.
Dr P B James MB ChB DIH
PhD FFOM
Wolfson
Hyperbaric Medicine Unit
University of Dundee
NOTE:
An Extensive Physical Exam by a Hyperbaric
Oxygen Trained Physician is highly Recommended Plus Pulmonary
Studies, and X-rays.
Bronchitis
K.K.
Jain
Text Book of Hyperbaric Oxygen
Medicine, Vol. 3
Efuni (1984) used HBOT in 92 patients with
dust-induced bronchitis. There was improvement in 88.9% of the
patients as determined by tolerance to physical exercise and blood
gas measurements. This is the only report from the USSR, and we find
there are no studies in the Western Literature.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Autism
The logic for using hyperbaric oxygen treatment
for developmental disorders relates to the autoimmune and/or viral
theory of these conditions.
Hyperbaric oxygen has been studied for
autoimmune disorders and found to be helpful. Encephalitis, in this
theory, is thought to be part of developmental disorders. The
encephalitis can be initiated by viral infection, by exposure to
vaccines, and/or by other autoimmune processes (the result of
exposure to abnormal opioid-like substances from the opioid excess
hypothesis, for example).
Treatment Study
Patients with viral encephalitis from ages 1
yr. to 11 yrs. were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The
treated group consisted of 47 patients, 28 male and 19 female. The
control group consisted of 45 patients, 24 male and 21 female. Viral
encephalitis presents a model for the inflammation that may be part
of autism. Studies such as this provide a basis for the use of
hyperbaric oxygen therapy for autism. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was
provided at 1.8 atm abs for 80 minutes daily for 10 days in a pure
oxygen monoplace unit. The control group received supportive therapy
with appropriate drugs.
Results:
Table 1. Comparison of the Curative Effect of
the High Pressure Oxygen Treatment Group and the Control Group
Treatment Study
Group Cases Cured Effective Ineffective Total
Effective # # (%) # (%) # (%) (%)
Treatment 47 18 (38.3) 25 (55.3) 3 (6.4) 93.6
ontrol 45 8 (17.8) 20 (44.5) 17 (37.8)
62.2
P Value <0.05 N.S. <0.0001 <0.01
Clearly, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is effective
for the treatment of encephalitis in childhood.
Hyperbaric oxygen has an important role in the
treatment of brain injury, and perhaps also developmental disorders.
(See: The role of Hyperbaric-Oxygen Therapy for intra-cranial
pathology in Intensive Care). Since we know of no data on the use of
hyperbaric oxygen for developmental disorders, and, since patients
are doing these therapies, we will endeavor to review what is known,
so that parents can at least make informed choices. |