Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Be Used to Treat Children after COVID-19? A Bibliographic Review

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic is a public health emergency of international concern. It was believed that SARS-CoV-2 virus was much less likely affect children. Statistics show that children account for 2–13% of all COVID-19 patients in individual countries. In the youngest population, acute respiratory failure is not as serious a problem as complications after COVID-19, mainly pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS, MIS-C). This study used a bibliography review. The Medline database (using the PubMed platform) and the Cochrane Clinical Trials database were searched using the following keywords: hyperbaric oxygen therapy for children, treatment of children with COVID-19, and use of HBOT in the treatment of children following COVID-19. Thirteen publications that quantitatively and qualitatively described the efficacy of HBOT application in the treatment of pediatric diseases were eligible among the studies; those relating to the use of HBOT in the treatment of children with COVID-19 and its complications were not found. The bibliographic review showed that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used in the treatment of children after carbon monoxide poisoning, with soft tissue necrosis, bone necrosis, after burns, or after skin transplant. No evidence supported by research has been found in scientific journals on the effectiveness of the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in children with a history of COVID-19 infection. Research data are needed to develop evidence-driven strategies with regard to the use of HBOT therapy in the treatment of children and to reduce the number of pediatric patients suffering because of complications after COVID-19.