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Refractory Osteomyelitis is defined as a chronic osteomyelitis that persists or recurs after appropriate interventions have been performed or where acute osteomyelitis has not responded to surgery and antibiotics.
Case series, animal data and non-randomized prospective trials suggest that the addition of Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy to routine surgical and antibiotic management of previously refractory osteomyelitis is safe and improves the rate of infection resolution.
In patients with osteomyelitis involving spine, skull, sternum, HBOT is recommended prior to surgical intervention.
Typically patients require 20-40 daily dives for sustained therapeutic benefit.
How does HBOT work in osteomyelitis?
1. Restoration of normal to elevated O2 level in infected bone.
2. Leukocyte mediated killing of aerobic bacteria is restored when low O2 tension intrinsic to osteomyolitic bone is restored to physiologic or supra-physiologic levels.
3. HBOT is noted to exert direct suppressive effects on anaerobic infections.
4. HBOT augment the transport of certain abx (aminoglycosides and cephalosporins) across bacterial cell wall.
5. Enhance osteogenesis
6. Enhance angiogenesis
thank you to Dr. Sethuraman for this pearl
References
“Refractory Osteomyelitis” written by Hart, Brett, MD In: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Indications Editor: Gesell, Laurie, MD FACEP