RESEARCH ARTICLE


Hyperbaric Oxygen for Osteomyelitis in a Compromised Host



Lawrence A Delasotta*, 1, Andrew Hanflik 1, Griffin Bicking 2, William J Mannella 3
1 Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
2 Crozer-Keystone Health System, Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Intervention Fellow, Upland, PA 19013, USA
3 Department of Surgery, Crozer-Keystone Medical Center, Upland, PA 19013, USA


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Creative Commons License
© Delasotta et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/) which permits unrestrictive use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, 585 Schenectady Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA; Tel: (718) 604 – 5483; Fax: (718) 604 – 5575; E-mail: LawrenceDelasotta@Gmail.com


Abstract

Post-traumatic osteomyelitis is a rare but debilitating complication of closed fractures. Most infections can be resolved with aggressive debridement, intravenous antibiotics, and hardware removal. However, the eradication of infection can be challenging in a patient with multiple comorbidities. Refractory infection may require suppressive therapy or amputation to control the disease. Improvements in care have led to improved survival for this population, posing new challenges in their post-traumatic care. We report on the successful use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an adjunct in a compromised host with recurrent post-traumatic osteomyelitis despite aggressive debridement, removal of instrumentation, and several courses of intravenous antibiotic therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen may be considered as an adjunct to standard treatment protocols for refractory osteomyelitis in compromised hosts.

Keywords: Hyperbaric oxygen, infection, trauma, osteomyelitis, vascular disease.