Hyperbaric oxygen may reduce the risk of dying, the time to pain relief and the chance of adverse heart events in people with heart attack and unstable angina

Acute heart attacks associated with coronary artery disease are collectively referred to as 'acute coronary syndrome' (ACS). ACS is very common and may lead to severe complications including death. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves people breathing pure oxygen at high pressures in a specially designed chamber. It is sometimes used as a treatment to increase the supply of oxygen to the damaged heart in an attempt to reduce the area of the heart that is at risk of dying. We first searched the literature in 2004 and most recently in June 2010, finding one further study. Overall,we found some evidence that people with ACS are less likely to die or to have major adverse cardiac events, and to have more rapid relief from their pain, if they receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy as part of their treatment. However, our conclusions are based on six relatively small randomised trials (five of which included only patients with confirmed heart muscle death). While HBOT may therefore reduce the risk of dying, time to pain relief and the chance of adverse heart events in people with heart attack and unstable angina, more work is still needed to be sure that HBOT should be recommended.