Hyperbaric
oxygen gave no improvement over placebo for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Clinical Bottom Line:
1.
No evidence of improvement in the hyperbaric group when compared to
placebo. Improvement of bladder control, level of fatigue and strength in both
groups.
2.
Evoked potentials were of little value in assessing severity or
response to treatment.
Appraised
by: Mike Bennett, Dept of Diving and
Hyperbaric Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital
Sydney; Sunday, 14 March 1999
Clinical
Scenario: A patient with multiple
sclerosis presented for consideration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Three-part
Question: For patients with multiple
sclerosis, does the addition of hyperbaric oxygen to standard care result in any
improvement in functional or symptomatic state?
Search
Terms: Multiple sclerosis
The
Study:
Double-blinded randomised
controlled trial, intention-to-treat unknown.
Patients with multiple
sclerosis, stable or chronic progressive.
Control group (N = 19;? analysed):
20 sessions of sham hyperbaric oxygen over 4 weeks breathing 10% oxygen at 2ATA
for 90 minutes daily.
Experimental group (N =38;?
analysed): 100%oxygen at 2ATA on the same schedule as above.
Clinical follow-up with KDSS
shows 14 'improved', 12 'deteriorated'.
No
analysis by intervention.
Comments:
1.
Short clinical abstract only. No data given. Longer report on evoked
potentials does not analyse by treatment group.
2.
Total of 57 patients in the trial.
Expiry date: January 2005
References:
1.
Slater GE, Anderson DA, Sherman R, Ettinger MG, Haglin J, Hitchcock C.
Hyperbaric oxygen and multiple sclerosis: a double-blind, controlled study.
Neurology 1985; 35(Suppl 1):315.
2.
Anderson DC, Slater GE, Sherman R, Milton G, Ettiger MG. Evoked
potentials to test a treatment of chronic multiple sclerosis. Archives of
Neurology 1987; 44:1232-1236.
