Undersea Hyperbar M
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Undersea Hyperbar M · Jan 2004
Case ReportsEmphysematous cystitis: rapid resolution of symptoms with hyperbaric treatment: a case report.
Emphysematous cystitis is a rare disease that occurs most often in elderly diabetic patients characterized by gas formation in the bladder wall due to infection. The infecting organism is usually an aerobic bacterium, most commonly E. coli although anaerobic species have also been reported. We report the use of hyperbaric oxygen in a patient with emphysematous cystitis and air in the femoral vein in which the treatment rapidly resolved the symptoms and radiological abnormalities. ⋯ Emphysematous cystitis is a rare condition caused by either aerobic or anaerobic bacteria and may be associated with both bladder wall and intravascular gas formation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has not been previously reported as a treatment modality. The rapid improvement in our patient may indicate a role for hyperbaric oxygen in addition to IV hydration and antibiotics in this disease.
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Undersea Hyperbar M · Jan 2003
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy of iatrogenic cerebral arterial gas embolism.
We describe our experience using HBO2 therapy for iatrogenic cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) in this retrospective review of nineteen patients treated for iatrogenic CAGE, from 1987 to 1999. Immediately after treatment, five patients completely resolved all signs and symptoms, eleven had improvement, one had no change, and two were not assessable. Within two months post treatment, three additional patients completely resolved and six had further improvement. ⋯ Iatrogenic CAGE patients improved with HBO2 therapy, and improvement for some continued for several months. Patients with CAGE from a venous source have pulmonary signs or symptoms. Diagnosis of CAGE should be made on clinical suspicion without reliance on imaging studies.