This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.

This report aims to assess the therapeutic usefulness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its applications in clinical practice.

Revision of HBO literature shows a considerable number of trials, nevertheless many of them present methodological problems that make the drawing of valid conclusions difficult. Of the assessed studies, many show suboptimal designs, being quasi-experimental or non-randomized. Consequently, caution must be exercised when drawing conclusions that derive in clinical recommendations. Some organizations, that do not have other treatments or because the condition requires immediate action, make their criteria flexible and recommend HBO in spite of the fact there is not enough evidence to support it. Others demand conclusive clinical evidence. In general, there is consensus that HBO should not replace standard efficacious therapies, and that HBO should be reserved for indications where there is greater consensus and eventually, when there are no alternative therapies, it should be used in institutions where the resources to perform the procedure are available. However, cost-effectiveness assessments and more trials of higher methodological quality should be carried out to prove the results and define the group of patients that might benefit the most from HBO.