Session Speaker

Financial Benefit of the Hyperbaric Oxygenation in the Treatment of Mass Non-Infectious Diseases
Ana Mitrović, Predrag Brkić, Tomislav Jovanović
Yugoslavia

Mass non-infectious diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hyper-lipoproteinemia, hypertension and obesity, mostly consequences of inadequate life habits imposed or accepted as a lifestyle, are more and more present in the everyday life of the human population. Direct results of this pandemy are cardio-vascular diseases. Apart from hypertension and cardiac muscle and vessels problems, significant place have carotid and its branches and lower extremities vessels. Vascular problems of lower extremities are augmented also by decreased physical activities (motion) of the patient. Usually defined as polyneuropathy, these problems demand expensive diagnostic procedures, and long-term physically-pharmacological procedures.

Most of these patients enter into “vicious circle” which basis is deficit of molecular oxygen in the tissue. In over 80% of these patients irreversible changes on distal parts of one or both feet develop, demanding additional therapeutic (usually pharmacological) procedures in average period of 150 days. Significant number of patients in this category, mostly for life-threatening reasons or impossibility of the further solving problem of the ischemic pain that already involved significant financial means, ends with above knee amputation.

Costs of the lower limb partial amputation including pre- and post-operative care with therapy are very high, about 45.000 USD according to the data of the insurance companies in the USA. This number would be significantly multiplied if rehabilitation of the patient, artificial limb, constant need for additional care of third person or member of the family and incapability to work are included in the study. Introducing HBO therapy in the first phases of polyneuropathy, the “vicious circle” - induced by tissue hypoxia - is interrupted in the very beginning.

Therapy of 10-15 HBO treatments once a year, eliminates neuropathy (as a micro-vascular disease sequel) and decrease use of pharmaceuticals, maintain working capability and prolong period of possible irreversible changes appearance for minimum 10 years. If HBO therapy is included during the period of surgical revascularization, healing time is significantly shortened, and possible complications of the reperfusion syndrome is avoided, which is not benefit only for the patient. HBO therapy decrease the treatment of existing irreversible changes (diabetic foot and gangrene) on 30-50 days which is 3-5 times less than the habitual therapy procedure. Savings in time are not only in benefit for the patient, but in financial means as well. At last, HBO treatments eliminate need for the amputation in 60-70%, or where it became necessary it is postponed for average period of 15 years.

All previously mentioned indicates that HBO therapy clearly defined and planned in certain time intervals and with very precise dynamic of medical methods, apart from benefit for the patient is significantly cost-effective. If possibility of holistic approach to the patient during the HBO treatment is considered, than apart from multiple effect of the hyperbaric oxygen patient is influenced to change wrong life habits and in that way also to mitigate consequences of the disease, decrease cost of the problem salvation, and of the consequent morbidity.