title: Survey of referral patterns and attitudes toward hyperbaric oxygen treatment among Danish oncologists, ear, nose and throat surgeons and oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
abstract: In head and neck cancer patients with late radiation injury, hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is used for therapeutic or prophylactic reasons against soft-tissue and osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Twenty-nine departments of oncology, ENT, oral and maxillofacial (OMF) surgery were surveyed using the Enalyzer tool (www.enalyzer.com), of whom 21 responded. Data were incomplete in four returns. Within the previous year, 14 departments had referred at least one patient for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). There appears to be a generally positive attitude in Danish OMF, ENT and oncology departments towards referral of patients with ORN for HBOT. However, there is an increasing desire for better evidence for its role in head and neck cancer in the prevention and treatment of soft-tissue injury and osteonecrosis following radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark, Phone: +45-(0)2-639-6440, E-mail: lone.forner@rh.regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Lone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Forner
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Health Services Research and Technology Assessment, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Erik Christian
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003718:Denmark; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010025:Osteoradionecrosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Osteoradionecrosis; bone necrosis; hyperbaric oxygen therapy; questionnaire; radiotherapy; survey