Hyperbaric oxygen treatment and pulmonary function.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) treatment exposes the lungs to the potentially toxic effect of free oxygen radicals and may lead to impairment of pulmonary function. HBO2 significantly improves wound healing in patients with osteoradionecrosis of the mandible following radiation therapy for intraoral cancer. In 18 consecutive patients with osteoradionecrosis of the mandible, pulmonary function was assessed during 6 wk of HBO2 treatment, applied daily in a monoplace chamber for 90 min and at a partial oxygen pressure of 2.4 atm abs. Pretreatment forced vital capacity (FVC) was 104 +/- 14% (mean +/- SD) of a reference population, the 1 s forced expiratory volume (FEV1) 95 +/- 20%, total lung capacity (TLC) 100 +/- 13%, and the carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DL(CO)) 81 +/- 17% (P < 0.05, compared to reference population). These parameters remained unchanged throughout the treatment period (after 6 wk and expressed relative to the percentage of the expected value at baseline): deltaFVC: +4 +/- 8%; deltaFEV1: -2 +/- 4%; deltaTLC: +2 +/- 5%; deltaDL(CO): 0 +/- 9%; deltaRV 0 +/- 11%. It is concluded that intermittent HBO2 treatment in a monoplace chamber has no persistent effect on pulmonary function and can be offered even to patients with a reduced diffusing capacity.