A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) led team of international researchers from the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) at Kelvin Grove has modelled the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to heal chronic wounds, such as those from diabetic patients, that lead to the need for amputation. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy refers to the intermittent treatment of the entire body with pure oxygen at greater than normal atmospheric pressures. According to QUT mathematician Jennifer Flegg, even a minute wound on the foot of a diabetic could have a catastrophic effect because their wounds would not heal the same way as normal wounds due to many factors including reduced blood flow. “The investigation showed that HBOT applied intermittently under pressure to a diabetic wound speeds up its healing,” Mrs Flegg said. The researchers pointed out that the modelling showed first of all, that only HBOT, and not oxygen applied with no extra pressure, stimulates healing of these chronic wounds. In addition, it was also discovered that HBOT must be applied continuously until the wound has completely healed in order for it to be effective. It also points out the need to treat individual wounds separately as different patient has unique healing capacities with HBOT and the modelling shows that there should be a research focus on individual treatment protocols in order to optimize the outcome for each patient. An article on these findings by Mrs Flegg, Professor Ian Turner and Emeritus Professor Sean McElwain from QUT and Professor Helen Byrne from the Centre for Mathematical Medicine and Biology at the University of Nottingham will be published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS): Computational Biology, the top-ranked journal in the field of mathematical and computational biology.
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