Use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of diabetic ulcers

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic condition with a high prevalence and deleterious impact on health, characterized by hyperglycemia caused by insulin resistance. Among its many complications is the diabetic ulcer, an ischemic and infected condition that is difficult to control, which occurs in the lower limbs and, in its worst case, can culminate in amputation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is considered a beneficial adjuvant therapy in the treatment of the disorder, since it reduces the inflammatory response, eliminates bacteria and promotes neovascularization in the area, in order to speed up the healing of the lesion. To prepare the review, a search was carried out for previous works in the PubMed and VHL Regional Portal databases, where a total of 25 scientific articles were included after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, in order to select data relevant to the topic addressed. In this research, the articles pointed out that the therapy is effective in reducing healing time, by accelerating tissue repair, however, they reinforced that more substantial studies are still needed on the therapeutic process to really guarantee its effectiveness.

Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus; Hyperbarica; Therapy.