[Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in trauma surgery].

Hyperbaric oxygenation is achieved when a patient breathes 100 percent oxygen in an environment of elevated atmospheric pressure. Physiologically, this produces a directly proportional increase in the plasma volume fraction of transported oxygen which is readily available for cellular metabolism. A number of beneficial biochemical, cellular and physiologic effects result which account for the use of hyperbaric oxygen as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of clostridial myonecrosis, crush injuries, compromised flaps, osteoradionecrosis and chronic problem wounds. Indications, modes of treatment, contraindications, side effects, costs and experimental and clinical results are presented. Overall, these data demonstrate that hyperbaric oxygen is no longer "a therapy in search of diseases". However, more randomized controlled clinical trials are necessary to demonstrate its efficacy.