Data of a novel systematic review with meta-analysis portrayed HBOT to be safe along with significant rates of clinical remission for multiple IBD phenotypes. This review by Jeffrey McCurdy and researchers aimed to quantify the safety and efficacy of HBOT in different IBD phenotypes. Database searching helped to explore the relevant studies concerning the effectiveness and/or safety of HBOT in IBD.

The weighted summary estimations with 95% confidence intervals were assessed for clinical outcomes for the individual phenotype of IBD. Cochrane evaluation handbook for systematic reviews and National Institute of Health criteria helped define the quality of the study. Overall, 19 studies (3 randomized controlled trials and 16 case studies) with 809 patients were considered. The rates of remission for different disorders have been summarized in the following table:

Minor adverse events were reported by 15% of patients (n = 30) as per 12 studies that focused on safety. The majority of studies were of low quality because of lack of comparator arms, poor description of concomitant interventions, and/or absence of objective outcomes. Given the limited high-quality for the safety of HBOT in IBD as mentioned, future randomized controlled trials are needed to strengthen the benefit of HBOT in IBD, study authors concluded.