Update: Hyperbaric Oxygen for Intracranial Abscess (Brain and Skull Infections)

Today we have updated and upgraded our Intracranial Abscess (Brain and Skull Infections) page. Infections of the brain and skull may be caused by any number of different bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, protozoa, and other microbial organisms. Children with congenital heart disease and people with compromised immune systems due to chronic disease, cancer therapy, HIV, AIDS, and immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplantation face higher risk.

From our new commentary:

Brain abscesses are deadly serious but much less fatal (10%-30%) since the advent of computed tomography (CT) imaging devices, CT-guided surgical techniques (needle aspiration), and improved microbiology testing and antibiotic regimens.... The mechanisms at work here also greatly interest researchers investigating hyperbaric oxygen for traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Let our Further Reading suggestion stand as a cautionary tale. With a brain abscess, life and health depend on early diagnosis and proper treatment with computer-guided surgery and the right antibiotic regimen. Adding hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be especially prudent in the treatment of multiple abscesses in deep or dominant locations, in patients with immune compromise, and when the infection does not respond well to traditional surgery and antibiotics.

[Image: Amebic brain abscess, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]