Abstract
One of the major economical expense for health providers in wound care management are patients with diabetic foot ulcer or a chronic lower limb ischemia. Main treatment goal in theese patients is usually reduction in a number of amputations, especially high-ones, deeply affecting quality of life of patients.
Hyperbaric medicine is already estabilished as an adjuvant method in some of these indications. In some cases it is already part of the national recomendations for diabetic foot ulcer treatment.
The aim of this work is to present recent clinical systematic reviews and currently valid recommendations for the treatment of difficult-to-heal ulcers according to the 10th European Consensus Conference ECHM (European Commission for Hyperbaric Medicine) from 2016. Part of the work is an overview of pharmacoeconomic studies, summary of treatment costs for diabetes, its complications, in patients after amputations as well as costs of HBOT.
Finally, the principle and significance of the method of transcutaneous oximetry and the so-called oxygen challenge in relation to HBOT in patients with critical ischemia and diabetic foot syndrome are explained.