Intermittent hyperbaric oxygen therapy for reduction of mortality in experimental polymicrobial sepsis

J Infect Dis. 1986 Sep;154(3):504-10. doi: 10.1093/infdis/154.3.504.

Abstract

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has a marked beneficial effect in experimental intraabdominal sepsis. Two rat models involving implantation of either rat fecal material or a mixture of pure cultures of Escherichia coli, Streptococcus faecalis, and Bacteroides fragilis were used in this study. A death rate of 100% was obtained in control animals implanted with fecal material; with intermittent hyperbaric oxygen treatment, a death rate of only 8% was observed (P less than .005). With a mixture of pure cultures of clinical pathogens, the death rate in control animals was 79%, and intermittent hyperbaric oxygen treatment reduced the rate to 23% (P less than .005). Data from cultures of blood indicated that the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen was not related to antibacterial activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Infections / mortality
  • Bacterial Infections / therapy*
  • Bacteroides Infections / therapy
  • Bacteroides fragilis
  • Enterococcus faecalis
  • Escherichia coli Infections / therapy
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Hyperbaric Oxygenation*
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Streptococcal Infections / therapy