The role of hyperbaric oxygenotherapy (HBOT) in the treatment of COVID-19 patients

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a major challenge to modern medicine. Despite significant efforts by the medical and scientific community, at the time of writing, there is still no targeted etiological treatment for acutely ill COVID-19 patients as well as patients with post-COVID syndrome. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medically and scientifically recognized therapeutic procedure in the treatment of a number of acute and chronic conditions in which oxygen deficiency is pathophysiologically primary disorder. Given the several published series of cases that have shown a significant beneficial effect of HBOT in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 infection, and based on decades of experience in the use of HBOT in other fields, the need to conduct quality and well-structured studies arose with the aim to clearly examine the impact of HBOT use in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. According to available sources, nine such studies are being conducted worldwide.The mechanisms of the effect of HBOT in the treatment of COVID-19 patients are based on the correction of hypoxia, attenuation of the inflammatory response and “repayment of oxygen debt” in a short period of time, thus providing a window to aerobic metabolism in deeply hypoxic tissues and important organs.

Keywords

• covid-19 – complications
• therapy; hyperbaric oxygenation; pneumonia
• viral therapy; hypoxia; treatment outcome; sars-cov-2