Introduction:

foot wounds are highly prevalent in diabetic patients and can lead to limb amputation; thus, this pathology requires comprehensive treatment.

Objective:

the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in improving the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. The secondary objective was to evaluate whether it reduces the number of amputations and enhances the quality of life.

Methods:

this non-blind randomized clinical study included diabetic patients who presented chronic foot ulcers classified as Wagner grades 2, 3, and 4. The sample consisted of 30 patients, 17 allocated to the control group and 13 to Hyperbaric oxygen therapy group. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was applied once a day, five days a week for seven weeks; each session lasted 90min at 2.5 atmospheres absolute. The SF-36 quality of life questionnaire was administered to both groups.

Results:

the evaluation of foot wound healing in diabetic patients showed a better result in the Hyperbaric oxygen therapy group less than six months of follow-up (p = 0.04). There were two minor amputations in the control group with p=0.60. Furthermore, the quality of life was improved in the Hyperbaric oxygen therapy group compared to the control, with a statistically significant difference in most domains, except for mental health.

Conclusions:

our findings suggest that Hyperbaric oxygen therapy positively impacts the healing of foot wounds in diabetic patients who have undergone less than six months of follow-up. Data regarding the method’s benefit related to the reduction of minor or significant amputations are insufficient. Regarding quality of life, we obtained results that support the use of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Registration number RBR- 7bd3xy (http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br).