Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Protein and mRNA in Crush Injury Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Abstract Introduction Limb injury is a major health concern that imposes a direct danger to both life and limb viability. At Kandou Hospital Manado, hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been performed as an adjunctive treatment for crush injury although no study has yet directly compared outcomes of HBO versus conventional therapy. Documentation of the association between HBO therapy and the healing process of crush injury is necessary to reduce the gaps in the literature and to establish an evidence-based clinical use of HBO therapy. Methods In this study, we assessed the changes in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) serum levels and VEGF mRNA expression as biomarkers of wound healing using ELISA and qRT-PC at four different measurement times: at baseline, after receiving initial treatment (debridement and limb-salvage surgeries), 2 h after the first session HBOT, and after a full 10 HBOT sessions. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was used to enroll patients subjected to crush injury who were admitted to the Surgical Emergency Department (ER) of Kandou Hospital Manado, Indonesia. Results VEGF serum levels increased significantly in patients suffering from crush injury who received HBO therapy versus the control group. The increased VEGF serum is expected to result in an acceleration time of wound healing and a reduction in amputation rate. Conclusion There was a significant difference between crush injury patients who received conservative therapy versus those receiving HBO therapies; thus, there was an increased likelihood of an accelerated wound healing and a reduction in the risk of amputation.