Abstract
We retrospectively reviewed 57 patients with adhesive intestinal obstruction treated with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) alone at Matsumoto National Hospital from October 1999 through September 2002. All under performed HBO without short nasogastric long nasointestinal in tubation. Of the 57, 34 (60%) were men and 23 (40%) women aged 15 to 90 years (mean: 62.8 years). Over half (51%) of the obstructions occurred after surgery for cancer of the stomach and colorectum. Obstruction improved in 49 (86%), who underwent a mean 2.4 days of decompression. HBO failed in 8 (14%), and 5 were successfully decompressed with a long nasointestinal tube. Three ultimately required surgery. The single complication in 1 patient was slight earache. Patients with adhesive intestinal obstruction can thus safely under go trial HBO upon hospital admission.
