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Background: Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by uncontrolled blood sugar levels, which lead to end-organ damage. While the diagnosis and treatment of its complications have been extensively studied, the effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO2) on diabetes-related oral complications remains unexplored. Aim: This prospective clinical study aims to investigate the effect of HBO2 on diabetes-related oral complications. Methods: Twenty patients diagnosed with diabetic foot ulcers and scheduled for HBO2 were included in this study. We recorded stimulated and unstimulated saliva pH, buffering capacity, flow rate, and subjective symptoms such as dry mouth, halitosis, taste loss, difficulty swallowing, and clinical examination findings before HBO2 and after the 21st session. Results: Upon comparing the findings, we observed a significant decrease in dry mouth and halitosis, periodontal disease severity, and healing of candida-related stomatitis and angular cheilitis. Despite not reaching statistical significance for other saliva parameters, the unstimulated salivary flow rate increased to normal limits (0.3-0.4 ml/min) in 6 out of 8 patients with a flow rate of less than 0.25 ml/min. Conclusion: Our study investigated the effect of HBO2 on diabetes-related oral complications for the first time, highlighting symptomatic relief for dry mouth and halitosis. Although our results are insufficient to report a definitive benefit, they underscore the need for further research on the oral health effects of HBO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barodontalgia, barometric pressure-induced dental pain, may occur during hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy due to pressure changes. This case report presents an 8-year-old male patient with barodontalgia. The patient declared a severe toothache during HBO2 therapy. The diving medicine specialist referred the patient to the dental clinician immediately. On clinical examination, the pain was thought to be caused by caries lesions of the deciduous teeth in the left maxillary molar region. Tooth extraction was suggested. After extraction, the patient continued hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions without any pain. The patient was recommended for an intraoral and radiographic examination session one week after the extraction. In conclusion, caries lesions and faulty restorations should be examined before hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions. Even though barodontalgia is a rare phenomenon, dental examination is essential to avoid these kinds of pain-related complications. All carious lesions and defective restorations must be treated, if necessary. Removal of faulty restorations and management of inflammation as part of the treatment is suggested before exposure to pressure changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has been reported in individuals with a previous medical history of COVID-19. This research was conducted to investigate the outcomes and characteristics of these cases following hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBO2). Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with SSNHL, with a previous history of coronavirus disease, who underwent HBO2. Medical files from four health centers (three tertiary and one state hospital) between March 2020 and September 2021 were reviewed to evaluate the treatment outcomes. Results: The study found that 25 out of 304 patients who presented with SSNHL had a prior COVID-19 infection. The mean age of the patients was 36.2 ± 12.3 years, with 56% being male. Recovery rates were as follows: complete recovery (20%), partial improvement (20%), and minimal improvement (32%). There was a statistically significant difference between the pre-and post-treatment median values of all frequency levels (**P<0.001). Conclusion: SSNHL requires immediate management with various treatment modalities. In this study, HBO2 showed improvement in hearing loss specifically in patients with a prior history of coronavirus infection. The varied distribution of recovery rates aligns with existing literature. This is the inaugural study assessing the outcomes of HBO2 in such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the processes of informed consent and identify factors affecting the comprehension and decision-making of the patient who undergoes hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). Methods: This cross-sectional study group consisted of patients admitted to the Department of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine. Patients were verbally informed about the process and allowed to read the informed consent form before they received HBOT. Having provided the information of consent, the participants completed a questionnaire including the descriptive features, an informed consent checklist form, a Standardized Mini Mental Test (SMMT), and screening tests for decisional conflict. The results were evaluated. Results: Fifty-six patients participated in the study. The mean age was 46.4±13.5 years and 75% of patients were men. Among the participants, 5.4% tended to feel uncomfortable with the decision they made, and 7.1% experienced decisional conflict. When the patients were asked "Who is the best person to decide about the treatment recommended for you?", 53.6% of patients responded as "The doctor." When the scales and form points used in the study were compared in terms of gender and educational level, statistically significant differences were observed between the points for SMMT (0.048) according to gender and the points for SMMT (0.001) as well as the screening test for decisional conflict (0.027) according to educational status. Conclusion: The current research is the first study in the literature to show the crucial role of informed consent and the factors affecting comprehension as well as the decision of the patient undergoing HBOT. As a result, Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine physicians must consider various aspects of the consent process to reduce the risk of malpractice and ensure good clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy has well-known anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects. It may be an option for the treatment of chronic wounds including digital ulcers related with systemic sclerosis (SS). The therapy may also have an impact on the fibrotic complications of SS, including skin thickness. The aim of the study was evaluating the effect of HBO2 on skin thickness in SS patients with medical therapy resistant digital ulcers. Methods: This was an observational study. Twenty-five of 68 patients in our SS cohort had digital ulcers. Four of those had medical therapy resistant digital ulcers. First, we administered at least three of the drugs: Calcium channel blockers, acetylsalicylic acid, iloprost and bosentan as combination therapy. Then, unresponsive patients were evaluated together by rheumatologist and underwater and hyperbaric medicine physician for HBO2 indication. Finally, we applied HBO2 to eligible patients for their refractory and active digital ulcers. We evaluated the pre- and post-therapy values of modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) for skin thickness, health assessment questionnaire for disease-related disability, short-form 36 test for quality of life, and visual analog scores related to skin thickness. Results: mRSSs of all patients improved after the therapy. Nevertheless, we observed that only one patient's digital ulcers got better with the therapy. Furthermore, disease-related disability and quality of life indices were not improved consistently according to the favorable changes in skin scores. Conclusion: HBO2 may have a positive effect on skin thickness due to its anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects. Disease-related disability and quality of life parameters may improve further with addressing all aspects of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a potentially life-threatening muco-cutaneous disease, largely caused by an idiosyncratic reaction to medication or infectious disease, and is characterised by acute necrosis of the epidermis. No definitive consensus regarding the treatment of TEN has been agreed. A 60-year-old woman, diagnosed with multiple myeloma three months prior, was admitted with signs of TEN to the intensive care burns unit. She had been given ciprofloxacin to treat a urinary tract infection. She complained of malaise and pain, with maculopapular and bullous eruptions over her whole body on the third day of ciprofloxacin administration. Her supportive cares included intravenous immunoglobulins, pain control with analgesics, wound care, nutrition, and fluid support. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) was added on the second day of admission. The patient underwent 5 sessions of HBOT at 243.1 kPa (2.4 atmospheres absolute). Desquamation was noted to stop after the first session of HBOT and re-epithelisation commenced rapidly. The patient was discharged from the burn unit after 14 days of hospital admission. Improvement in this case was temporally related to the initiation of HBOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the unusual mass mortality of Rhizostoma pulmo occurred on the coast of İstanbul in the Sea of Marmara in the first week of December 2020. The density of dead R. pulmo was 45±5 ind./m2 in the area and the mean diameter was 24.3 cm. The role of physical parameters, marine pollution, nutrient influx, climate change, overfishing, invasive species on jellyfish blooms and its effect on human health are discussed briefly in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine animal attacks and bites are rarely encountered in Turkey. The invasive alien silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789), is continuously growing in population and hence becoming increasingly tempted closer ashore especially during the summer months. Infamous with its highly toxic flesh, the species is also capable of inflicting severe bites with its quite strong beak-like teeth. We present the first case of a traumatic amputation caused by L. sceleratus bite in a child who eventually lost the distal part of her finger, in an incident occurred at the northern Levant shore of Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Refractory IGM causes patients to use antibiotics, steroid therapy, immunosuppressive agents for a very long time and even leads to surgical procedures resulting in the loss of breast tissue. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a frequently used method in the treatment of wounds that are difficult to heal. We thought that HBOT would be an alternative treatment method for refractory IGM patients., Methods: It is a retrospective cohort study on refractory IGM patients conducted at three tertiary care treatment centers between January 2021 and July 2023. The patients were evaluated in two groups: those who only took steroid treatment and those who received HBOT and steroid treatment. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, the types of treatment applied and their responses to treatment were evaluated., Results: There were no significant differences generally in the demographic and clinical features in both groups. The incidence of multicentric GM was found to be higher in the HBOT group (66.67 %; p = 0.044). Although the recovery results were similar in both groups, the average daily steroid dose and duration of drug use were found to be higher in the group receiving only steroid treatment (16 mg vs. 4 mg and 270 days vs. 30 days) (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: In our study, we showed for the first time in the literature that HBOT is effective in the treatment of refractory IGM patients. Our study needs to be supported by prospective studies evaluating cost effectiveness and possible long term complications., (Copyright © 2024 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Society of Coloproctology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)