Effects of Oxygen Therapy on Patients with a Chronic Wound: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the effects of oxygen-based therapy on patients with a chronic wound. DATA SOURCES: The authors searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for relevant randomized controlled trials from database inception. Investigators measured risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool. STUDY SELECTION: The included randomized controlled trials focused on the effects (short- or long-term wound healing, amputation rate, percentage of reduction in ulcer size, and poststudy transcutaneous oxygen measurement [TcPO2]) of oxygen-based therapy (including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, topical oxygen therapy, and continuous diffusion of oxygen) on patients with a chronic wound. DATA EXTRACTION: Researchers extracted information regarding participant characteristics and primary and secondary outcomes from the included studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: Pooled effects of 31 included studies showed that patients treated with oxygen had better short-term wound healing (risk ratio [RR], 1.544; 95% CI, 1.199 to 1.987), a higher percentage reduction in the ulcer area (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.999; 95% CI, 0.439 to 1. 599), lower amputation rates (RR, 0.529; 95% CI, 0.325 to 0.862), shorter wound healing time (SMD, -0.705; 95% CI, -0.908 to -0.501), and higher poststudy TcPO2 (SMD, 2.128; 95% CI, 0.978 to 3.278) than those in the control group. For long-term wound healing, there was no statistically significant difference (RR, 1.227; 95% CI, 0.976 to 1.542). CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen-based therapy improves short-term parameters of wound healing in patients with chronic wounds.

Critical period of oxygen supplementation and invasive ventilation: implications for severe retinopathy of prematurity.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have identified graded oxygen saturation targets to prevent retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a serious complication in preterm infants. We aimed to analyze the critical period of oxygen supplementation and/or invasive ventilation associated with severe ROP. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study included neonates with a gestational age (GA) < 29 weeks. Participants were divided into two groups: treated retinopathy and untreated/no retinopathy. Time-weighted average FiO2 (TWAFiO2) and weekly invasive ventilation were compared between groups by postnatal age (PNA) and postmenstrual age (PMA). The association of treated retinopathy with TWAFiO2 and invasive ventilation was analyzed. RESULTS: Data from 287 neonates were analyzed; 98 were treated for ROP and had lower GAs (25.5 vs. 27.4 weeks, p < 0.01) and lower birthweights (747.6 vs. 1014 g, p < 0.001) than those with untreated/no ROP. TWAFiO2 was higher from PMA 26-34 weeks, except for PMA 31 weeks in treated ROP, and higher in the first nine weeks of life in treated ROP. On multiple logistic regression, TWAFiO2 and invasive ventilation were associated with ROP treatment during the first seven weeks PNA. Invasive ventilation was associated with ROP treatment from PMA 26-31 weeks; no association was found for TWAFiO2 and PMA. CONCLUSIONS: Amount of oxygen supplementation and/or invasive ventilation during the first 7 weeks of life or up to 31 weeks PMA was associated with development of severe ROP. This period might be candidate timing for strict oxygen supplementation strategies in preterm infants, while concerns of mortality with low oxygen supplementation should be further explored.

[Safety Analysis Using Event Tree Analysis for Multi-Ion Therapy].

At the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), a multi-ion therapy using helium, carbon, oxygen, and neon ions has been studied for charged particle therapy with more optimal biological effects. To make multi-ion therapy clinically feasible, a new treatment system was developed to realize the changes of the ion species in each irradiation using the Heavy Ion Medial Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC). Since radiation therapy is safety-critical, it is necessary to construct a safety system that includes multiple safety barriers in the new treatment system for multi-ion therapy and to perform a safety analysis for the prevention of serious accidents. In this study, we conducted a safety analysis using event tree analysis (ETA) for newly introduced processes in the treatment planning, accelerator, and irradiation system of the multi-ion therapy. ETA is an optimal method to verify multiple safety barriers that are essential for medical safety and to shorten the time for safety analysis by focusing only on the new processes. Through ETA, we clarified the types of malfunctions and human errors that may lead to serious accidents in the new system for multi-ion therapy, and verified whether safety barriers such as interlock systems and human check procedures are sufficient to prevent such malfunctions and human errors. As a result, 6 initial events which may lead to serious accidents were listed in the treatment planning process, 16 initial events were listed in the accelerator system, and 13 initial events were listed in the irradiation system. Among these 35 initial events, 5 cautionary initial events were identified that could lead to serious final events and they had a probability of occurrence higher than 10-4. Meanwhile, the others were all initial events that do not lead to serious accidents, or the initial events that can lead to serious accidents but were considered to have sufficient safety barriers. The safety analysis using ETA successfully identified the system malfunctions and the human errors that can lead to serious accidents, and the multiple safety barriers against them were systematically analyzed. It became clear that the multiple safety barriers were not sufficient for some initial events. We plan to improve the safety barriers for the five cautionary initial events before the start of the clinical trial. Based on these findings, we achieved our objective to conduct a safety analysis for a new treatment system for multi-ion therapy. The safety analysis procedure using ETA proposed by this study will be effective when new systems for radiotherapy are established at QST and other facilities in the future as well.

Enhancing 7-dehydrocholesterol suppresses brain ferroptosis and tissue injury after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) results in part from excess reactive oxygen species and iron-dependent lipid peroxidation (i.e. ferroptosis). The vitamin D precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) may inhibit iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Primary neurons underwent oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) injury and treatment with 7-DHC-elevating medications such as cariprazine (CAR) or vehicle. Postnatal day 9 mice underwent sham surgery or carotid artery ligation and hypoxia and received intraperitoneal CAR. In neurons, CAR administration resulted in significantly increased cell survival compared to vehicle controls, whether administered 48 h prior to or 30 min after OGD, and was associated with increased 7-DHC. In the mouse model, malondialdehyde and infarct area significantly increased after HIBI in the vehicle group, which were attenuated by post-treatment with CAR and were negatively correlated with tissue 7-DHC concentrations. Elevating 7-DHC concentrations with CAR was associated with improved cellular and tissue viability after hypoxic-ischemic injury, suggesting a novel therapeutic avenue.

Individualized Treatment Effects of Oxygen Targets in Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Adults.

Importance: Among critically ill adults, randomized trials have not found oxygenation targets to affect outcomes overall. Whether the effects of oxygenation targets differ based on an individual's characteristics is unknown. Objective: To determine whether an individual's characteristics modify the effect of lower vs higher peripheral oxygenation-saturation (Spo2) targets on mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: A machine learning model to predict the effect of treatment with a lower vs higher Spo2 target on mortality for individual patients was derived in the Pragmatic Investigation of Optimal Oxygen Targets (PILOT) trial and externally validated in the Intensive Care Unit Randomized Trial Comparing Two Approaches to Oxygen Therapy (ICU-ROX) trial. Critically ill adults received invasive mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU) in the United States between July 2018 and August 2021 for PILOT (n = 1682) and in 21 ICUs in Australia and New Zealand between September 2015 and May 2018 for ICU-ROX (n = 965). Exposures: Randomization to a lower vs higher Spo2 target group. Main Outcome and Measure: 28-Day mortality. Results: In the ICU-ROX validation cohort, the predicted effect of treatment with a lower vs higher Spo2 target for individual patients ranged from a 27.2% absolute reduction to a 34.4% absolute increase in 28-day mortality. For example, patients predicted to benefit from a lower Spo2 target had a higher prevalence of acute brain injury, whereas patients predicted to benefit from a higher Spo2 target had a higher prevalence of sepsis and abnormally elevated vital signs. Patients predicted to benefit from a lower Spo2 target experienced lower mortality when randomized to the lower Spo2 group, whereas patients predicted to benefit from a higher Spo2 target experienced lower mortality when randomized to the higher Spo2 group (likelihood ratio test for effect modification P = .02). The use of a Spo2 target predicted to be best for each patient, instead of the randomized Spo2 target, would have reduced the absolute overall mortality by 6.4% (95% CI, 1.9%-10.9%). Conclusion and relevance: Oxygenation targets that are individualized using machine learning analyses of randomized trials may reduce mortality for critically ill adults. A prospective trial evaluating the use of individualized oxygenation targets is needed.

Effectiveness of bubble continuous positive airway pressure for treatment of children aged 1-59 months with severe pneumonia and hypoxaemia in Ethiopia: a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) for treatment of childhood severe pneumonia outside tertiary care hospitals is uncertain. We did a cluster-randomised effectiveness trial of locally made bCPAP compared with WHO-recommended low-flow oxygen therapy in children with severe pneumonia and hypoxaemia in general hospitals in Ethiopia. METHODS: This open, cluster-randomised trial was done in 12 general (secondary) hospitals in Ethiopia. We randomly assigned six hospitals to bCPAP as first-line respiratory support for children aged 1-59 months who presented with severe pneumonia and hypoxaemia and six hospitals to standard low-flow oxygen therapy. Cluster (hospital) randomisation was stratified by availability of mechanical ventilation. All children received treatment in paediatric wards (in a dedicated corner in front of a nursing station) with a similar level of facilities (equipment for oxygen therapy and medications) and staffing (overall, one nurse per six patients and one general practitioner per 18 patients) in all hospitals. All children received additional care according to WHO guidelines, supervised by paediatricians and general practitioners. The primary outcome was treatment failure (defined as any of the following: peripheral oxygen saturation <85% at any time after at least 1 h of intervention plus signs of respiratory distress; indication for mechanical ventilation; death during hospital stay or within 72 h of leaving hospital against medical advice; or leaving hospital against medical advice during intervention). The analysis included all children enrolled in the trial. We performed both unadjusted and adjusted analyses of the primary outcome, with the latter adjusted for the stratification variable and for the design effect of cluster randomisation, as well as selected potentially confounding variables, including age. We calculated effectiveness as the relative risk (RR) of the outcomes in the bCPAP group versus low-flow oxygen group. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT03870243, and is completed. FINDINGS: From June 8, 2021, to July 27, 2022, 1240 children were enrolled (620 in hospitals allocated to bCPAP and 620 in hospitals allocated to low-flow oxygen). Cluster sizes ranged from 103 to 104 children. Five (0·8%) of 620 children in the bCPAP group had treatment failure compared with 21 (3·4%) of 620 children in the low-flow oxygen group (unadjusted RR 0·24, 95% CI 0·09-0·63, p=0·0015; adjusted RR 0·24, 0·07-0·87, p=0·030). Six children died during hospital stay, all of whom were in the low-flow oxygen group (p=0·031). No serious adverse events were attributable to bCPAP. INTERPRETATION: In Ethiopian general hospitals, introduction of locally made bCPAP, supervised by general practitioners and paediatricians, was associated with reduced risk of treatment failure and in-hospital mortality in children with severe pneumonia and hypoxaemia compared with use of standard low-flow oxygen therapy. Implementation research is required in higher mortality settings to consolidate our findings. FUNDING: SIDA Sweden and Grand Challenges Ethiopia.

Topical oxygen therapy and singlet oxygen in wound healing: A scoping review.

The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of current research into topical oxygen therapies including the under-researched singlet oxygen for wound healing. A scoping review was undertaken using five databases. After duplicates and ineligible studies were excluded, 49 studies were included for a narrative review. Out of the included 49 studies, 45 (91.8%) were published in the past 10 years (2013-2023) with 32 (65.3%) published in the past 5 years (2018-2023). Eight of the studies were systematic reviews and/or meta-analysis and 18 were RCTs. The search identified zero human RCTs on singlet oxygen, but one human cohort study and five studies in animals. There is evidence that topical oxygen therapy may be useful for the treatment of chronic wounds, mainly diabetic foot ulcers. Singlet oxygen has shown potential, but would need further confirmation in controlled human trials, including more research to understand the bio-properties.

The effects of flow settings during high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy for neonates and young children.

BACKGROUND: During neonatal and paediatric high-flow nasal cannula therapy, optimising the flow setting is crucial for favourable physiological and clinical outcomes. However, considerable variability exists in clinical practice regarding initial flows and subsequent adjustments for these patients. Our review aimed to summarise the impact of various flows during high-flow nasal cannula treatment in neonates and children. METHODS: Two investigators independently searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane for in vitro and in vivo studies published in English before 30 April 2023. Studies enrolling adults (≥18 years) or those using a single flow setting were excluded. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed independently by two investigators. The study protocol was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022345419). RESULTS: 38 406 studies were identified, with 44 included. In vitro studies explored flow settings' effects on airway pressures, humidity and carbon dioxide clearance; all were flow-dependent. Observational clinical studies consistently reported that higher flows led to increased pharyngeal pressure and potentially increased intrathoracic airway pressure (especially among neonates), improved oxygenation, and reduced respiratory rate and work of breathing up to a certain threshold. Three randomised controlled trials found no significant differences in treatment failure among different flow settings. Flow impacts exhibited significant heterogeneity among different patients. CONCLUSION: Individualising flow settings in neonates and young children requires consideration of the patient's peak inspiratory flow, respiratory rate, heart rate, tolerance, work of breathing and lung aeration for optimal care.

Variability of oxygen requirements in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Background: The global scarcity of medical oxygen has proven to be catastrophic during the surges in COVID-19 cases over the past two years, with the heaviest burden felt in low- and middle-income countries. Despite its criticality, data and analyses of oxygen consumption, even for typical clinical cases, are missing. Consequently, planning oxygen needs, particularly with variable surges in COVID-19 cases, has presented a substantial challenge to policymakers and hospital decision-makers. Methods: We performed a sub-analysis of the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium database assessing the oxygen consumption requirements of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units between February 2020 and October 2021. We calculated descriptive statistics for oxygen flow-rates, stratified by oxygen supplementation method, and developed a multi-state model for estimating the frequency, therapy duration, probability of transition, and number of oxygen therapy modes per patient. Results: Overall, 12 429 patients from 35 countries received oxygen support on at least one day of their hospitalisation. Of the patients with measurable flow rates, 6142 received invasive mechanical ventilation, 838 received high-flow nasal oxygen, and 257 received both modalities. The median flow rate for mechanical ventilation was 3.2 L per minute (interquartile range (IQR) = 2.0-4.9), with a median duration of 12 days (IQR = 6-24), while the median flow rate for high-flow nasal cannula was 40 L per minute (IQR = 15-55), with a median duration of three days (IQR = 2-6). Conclusions: Oxygen consumption among critical COVID-19 patients varies by mode of delivery (invasive ventilation vs high-flow nasal cannula), across patients, and over treatment duration. Therefore, it is essential that health facilities routinely monitor oxygen utilization to better inform oxygen delivery system design and regular supply planning. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: CTG2021-01 ACTRN12620000421932.

High-flow nasal oxygen versus conventional oxygen therapy and noninvasive ventilation in COVID-19 respiratory failure: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive methods of respiratory support, including noninvasive ventilation (NIV), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and high-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO), are potential strategies to prevent progression to requirement for invasive mechanical ventilation in acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to understand the utility of noninvasive respiratory support among a homogeneous cohort of patients with contemporary management of acute respiratory distress syndrome. We performed a network meta-analysis of studies evaluating the efficacy of NIV (including CPAP) and HFNO, compared with conventional oxygen therapy (COT), in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched in May 2023. Standard random-effects meta-analysis was used first to estimate all direct pairwise associations and the results from all studies were combined using frequentist network meta-analysis. Primary outcome was treatment failure, defined as discontinuation of HFNO, NIV, or COT despite progressive disease. Secondary outcome was mortality. RESULTS: We included data from eight RCTs with 2302 patients, (756 [33%] assigned to COT, 371 [16%] to NIV, and 1175 [51%] to HFNO). The odds of treatment failure were similar for NIV (P=0.33) and HFNO (P=0.25), and both were similar to that for COT (reference category). The odds of mortality were similar for all three treatments (odds ratio for NIV vs COT: 1.06 [0.46-2.44] and HFNO vs COT: 0.97 [0.57-1.65]). CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive ventilation, high-flow nasal oxygen, and conventional oxygen therapy are comparable with regards to treatment failure and mortality in COVID-19-associated acute respiratory failure. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42023426495.

Photocleavable Visible Light-Triggered Anthraquinone-Derived Water-Soluble Block Copolymer for Peroxynitrite Generation in Cancer Therapy.

We report a facile stimuli-responsive strategy to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) in the biological milieu from a photocleavable water-soluble block copolymer under visible light irradiation (427 nm, 2.25 mW/cm2). An anthraquinone-based water-soluble polymeric nitric oxide (NO) donor (BCPx-NO) is synthesized, which exhibits NO release in the range of 40-65 µM within 10 h of photoirradiation with a half-life of 30-103 min. Additionally, BCPx-NO produces peroxynitrite (ONOO-) and singlet oxygen (1O2) under photoirradiation. To understand the mechanism of NO release and photolysis of the functional group under blue light, we prepared a small-molecule anthraquinone-based N-nitrosamine (NOD). The cellular investigation of the effect of spatiotemporally controlled ONOO- and 1O2 generation from the NO donor polymeric nanoparticles in a triple negative breast adenocarcinoma (MDA-MB-231) under visible light irradiation (white light, 5.83 mW/cm2; total dose 31.5 J/cm2) showed an IC50 of 0.6 mg/mL. The stimuli-responsive strategy using a photolabile water-soluble block copolymer employed to generate ROS and RNS in a biological setting widens the horizon for their potential in cancer therapy.

Hyperoxemia Induced by Oxygen Therapy in Nonsurgical Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND: Hyperoxemia, often overlooked in critically ill patients, is common and may have adverse consequences. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of hyperoxemia induced by oxygen therapy in nonsurgical critically ill patients at intensive care unit (ICU) admission and the association of hyperoxemia with hospital mortality. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included all consecutive admissions of nonsurgical patients aged 18 years or older who received oxygen therapy on admission to the Hospital Santa Luzia Rede D'Or São Luiz adult ICU from July 2018 through June 2021. Patients were categorized into 3 groups according to Pao2 level at ICU admission: hypoxemia (Pao2<60 mm Hg), normoxemia (Pao2= 60-120 mm Hg), and hyperoxemia (Pao2 >120 mm Hg). RESULTS: Among 3088 patients, hyperoxemia was present in 1174 (38.0%) and was independently associated with hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% CI, 1.04-1.67; P=.02). Age (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.02-1.02; P<.001) and chronic kidney disease (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.02-2.36; P=.04) were associated with a higher rate of hyperoxemia. Factors associated with a lower rate of hyperoxemia were Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.83-0.93; P<.001); late-night admission (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.96; P=.02); and renal/metabolic (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.13-1.39; P<.001), neurologic (OR, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01-0.05; P<.001), digestive (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.13-0.41; P<.001), and soft tissue/skin/orthopedic (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.79; P=.01) primary reasons for hospital admission. CONCLUSION: Hyperoxemia induced by oxygen therapy was common in critically ill patients and was linked to increased risk of hospital mortality. Health care professionals should be aware of this condition because of its potential risks and unnecessary costs.

Suppression of cerebral ischemia injury induced blood brain barrier breakdown by dexmedetomidine via promoting CCN1.

BACKGROUND: Blood-brain barrier (BBB) could aggravate cerebral ischemia injury. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has been believed to play a protective role in cerebral ischemia injury-induced BBB injury. METHODS: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) models were established to simulate cerebral ischemia injury. Animal experiments included 4 groups, Sham, MCAO, MCAO+Dex, MCAO+Dex+sh-CCN1. Generally applicable gene set enrichment analysis was performed to analyze gene expression difference. Total collagen content and Evans blue staining were performed to measure infarct ratio and BBB breakdown, respectively. The cell apoptosis, mRNA and protein expression were measured through flow cytometry, PCR, and western blotting, respectively. The levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6 in serum were measured with commercial ELISA kits. RESULTS: Dex greatly promoted the expression level of CCN1. Dex suppressed cerebral ischemia injury, increased tight junction protein expression, improved the memory ability and neurological function of MCAO rats through targeting CCN1. The significant increase of inflammatory factors in the serum of MCAO rats were suppressed by Dex. Dex suppressed OGD induced increase of HRP permeability and promoting tight junction protein expression in vitro through regulating CCN1. The neurological function evaluation was performed with Neurological Severity Score (NSS) and Longa Score Scale. CONCLUSIONS: Dex could remarkably alleviate cerebral ischemia injury by inhibiting BBB breakdown, inflammatory response, and promoting neurological function and tight junction protein expression via up-regulating CCN1. This study might provide a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia injury-induced BBB.

The effect of high altitude (2500†m) on incremental cycling exercise in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a randomised controlled crossover trial.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to investigate the effect of a day-long exposure to high altitude on peak exercise capacity and safety in stable patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). METHODS: In a randomised controlled crossover trial, stable patients with PAH or distal CTEPH without resting hypoxaemia at low altitude performed two incremental exercise tests to exhaustion: one after 3-5 h at high altitude (2500 m) and one at low altitude (470 m). RESULTS: In 27 patients with PAH/CTEPH (44% females, mean±sd age 62±14 years), maximal work rate was 110±64 W at 2500 m and 123±64 W at 470 m (-11%, 95% CI -16- -11%; p<0.001). Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry and arterial oxygen tension at end-exercise were 83±6% versus 91±6% and 6.1±1.9 versus 8.6±1.9 kPa (-8% and -29%; both p<0.001) at 2500 versus 470 m, respectively. Maximal oxygen uptake was 17.8±7.5 L·min-1·kg-1 at high altitude versus 20±7.4 L·min-1·kg-1 at low altitude (-11%; p<0.001). At end-exercise, the ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide was 43±9 at 2500 m versus 39±9 at 470 m (9%, 95% CI 2-6%; p=0.002). No adverse events occurred during or after exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Among predominantly low-risk patients with stable PAH/CTEPH, cycling exercise during the first day at 2500 m was well tolerated, but peak exercise capacity, blood oxygenation and ventilatory efficiency were lower compared with 470 m.

In acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, noninvasive oxygenation methods may reduce death vs. standard oxygen therapy.

SOURCE CITATION: Pitre T, Zeraatkar D, Kachkovski GV, et al. Noninvasive oxygenation strategies in adult patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Chest. 2023;164:913-928. 37085046.

Remote assessment and monitoring with advanced wound therapy to optimise clinical outcomes, access and resources.

OBJECTIVE: Patients in rural communities may have limited access to wound care; however, this may be mitigated by using a shared care approach. This study assessed the impact of a remote assessment and monitoring tool in combination with adjunctive continuous topical oxygen therapy (cTOT) in patients with diabetes and hard-to-heal wounds. METHOD: Patients with hard-to-heal wounds (defined as no visible improvement in the previous four weeks) were enrolled to this 12-week pilot study to validate a shared care approach using an Advanced Digital Wound Care Platform-telehealth (ADWCPt) system (eKare Inc., US) coupled with cTOT. Patient and wound assessments were reviewed by the clinician either remotely, via telehealth calls, or at the clinic, and the number of face-to-face clinic visits was recorded. Patient health status scores were captured before and after the study, along with feedback on usability of the remote platform and cTOT device. RESULTS: The wounds in all eight patients studied reduced in size over 12 weeks (mean percentage area reduction 92.0%), and two wounds were completely re-epithelialised. Another wound almost healed (99.2% wound area reduction). Clinical interactions consisted of self-assessments (n=80, 50.0%), video assessments with the clinician (n=27, 16.9%), and face-to-face interactions in clinic (n=53, 33.1%). Operational efficiencies encompassed a 54.0% increase in the number of clinical interactions, whereas clinical time was reduced by 25.8%. Health status scores improved across all eight patients and feedback on the shared approach and cTOT device was favourable. CONCLUSION: A shared care model with ADWCPt coupled with an innovative cTOT device saved time and resources, improving patient access and engagement, along with a marked improvement in the wound healing trajectory.

The therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with severe to profound idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

The optimal treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is unclear. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been suggested as a viable option for treatment of SSNHL as it improves vascular dysfunction. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of HBOT by retrospectively reviewing the records of 2206 patients with SSNHL. 54 who had received HBOT were selected for the HBOT groups, while 59 age-matched controls who had not were selected for the control groups. The HBOT and control groups were divided into subgroups according to intratympanic steroid (ITS) use. Groups A-D had received oral steroids + HBOT, oral steroids only, oral steroids + ITS + HBOT, and oral steroids + ITS, respectively. Of the 113 SSNHL patients, 21 had diabetes mellitus (DM) (2, 0, 9, and 10 patients in Groups A-D, respectively). There was no notable difference in hearing improvement between patients receiving HBOT and those in the control group. However, among diabetic patients, those who underwent HBOT demonstrated a significant improvement in hearing when compared to the control group. The combination of HBOT and steroids could potentially be beneficial for treating severe to profound SSNHL patients with DM.

Understanding Covid-19: Digit ratios and duration of oxygen therapy in hospitalized Covid-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Covid-19 severity shows a sex difference (males>females) and progressive hypoxia among the most seriously affected. Digit ratios are sexually dimorphic and may be negatively-related to prenatal (2nd-to-4th digits' ratio; 2D:4D) and pubertal (3rd-to-5th digits' ratio; 3D:5D) testosterone. Oxygen therapy is important in Covid-19 treatment and low 2D:4D is linked to efficient oxygen metabolism. We consider relationships between digit ratios and duration of oxygen treatment in hospitalized Covid-19 patients. METHODS: Digit lengths were measured from photographs of the patient's hands. Age, Sex, BMI, vaccination status and number of days of O2 treatment, were recorded. RESULTS: There were 100 (58 women) patients. Sex differences (males