Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on second-degree burn wound healing.

We present a controlled study that indicates faster epithelialization of blister-removed second-degree burn wounds in guinea pigs treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). Assessment of vascularity by india ink perfusion indicated earlier return of capillary patency in the HBO-treated group. An examination of the question of a comparative increase in DNA synthetic activity in the HBO-treated animals showed a slightly higher absolute ratio of labeled to unlabeled cells, but the difference was not statistically significant. It is likely that the mechanisms whereby HBO influenced the above events were mediated not only by increased oxygen delivery, but by increased atmospheric pressure on the wound.