Postural stability before and after hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) on postural stability in healthy volunteers. The study was performed in accordance with treatment protocols for divers' decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning.

METHODS

Twenty-one healthy male divers, aged 31 +/- 6.88 years (mean +/- SD), were tested with quantitative Romberg's test before and after HBO (90 min in a pressure chamber at an ambient pressure of 253 kPa, approximately 15 m of sea water, breathing pure oxygen). The quantitative Romberg's test is a calculation of the average sway for 50 s.

RESULTS

No difference was found between sway before and after the HBO (P < 0.05), i.e. we were unable to show that the results of quantitative Romberg's test are affected by HBO. Thus, the quantitative Romberg's test may be a valuable tool in evaluating patients with decompressions sickness, carbon monoxide intoxication and other neurological diseases normally treated with HBO.