ABSTRACT
Introduction: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a type of surgical wound treatment in which hypoxemia is corrected and arterial blood oxygen levels are maintained within normal values.
Aim: The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of surgical wounds.
Methods: A systematic literature review was performed on the Pubmed and Google Scholar databases for the period 2006-2016. The criteria for the articles were English language writing and its application to people.
Results: The application of hyperbaric oxygen was a useful way to reduce the swollen surgical wounds, the microbial load and the percentage of postoperative inflammations. In addition, there is a reduction in the volume of blood donated during surgeries, amputated limbs and rejected implants.
Conclusions: The use of this new technique has been an important contribution to the treatment of surgical wounds, either as primary or additional intervention.
Key-words: Hyperbaric Oxygen, injury, surgical wound
