Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - Hyperbaric Chamber Information ...

earlier DiSabato et al 89 study mentioned masking procedures. Both studies had complete
follow-up of subjects.
Table 48 Methodological quality of included studies focusing on the use of HBOT in cluster
headaches.
First Author and
Year of Publication
Study Design Randomisation Masking Losses to Follow-up
DiSabato 1997 88 Comparative study None None No losses
DiSabato 1996 89
Patient criteria
Comparative study None Single masked No losses
The two studies enrolled patients with two different types of cluster headaches (table 47).
In the 1997 study, DiSabato et al 88 enrolled patients with the chronic form of the
condition, specifying that participants be afflicted for at least five years before being
recruited into the study. A year earlier the authors studied subjects with the episodic type
of cluster headaches. Similar exclusion criteria were applied.
Table 49 Patient criteria of included studies focusing on the use of HBOT in cluster headaches.
First Author and
Year of Publication
DiSabato 1997 88
DiSabato 1996 89
Patient Criteria
Outpatients with chronic cluster headache of at least five years duration diagnosed according to
the criteria of the International Headache Society.
Exclusions: patients with diseases or forms of head pain other than cluster headaches or patients
with organic conditions capable of causing painful syndromes of the head.
Patients with episodic cluster headache diagnosed according to the criteria of the International
Headache Society.
Exclusions: patients suffering from other diseases or were taking prophylactic headache
medication.
Interventions examined
In both studies, patients were managed in a multiplace HBOT chamber for 30 minutes.
In the comparison groups, the patients breathed air in an unpressurised chamber. Only
the comparison group of the later study was given rescue medication (Table 50).
In their 1997 study, DiSabato et al 88 exposed the intervention group to a pressure of 2.5
ATA every two days for 15 sessions. In their earlier study, pressures in the range of 2.0
to 2.5 ATA were used and the number of sessions is not described.
52 Hyperbaric oxygen therapy