Trial reportBMJ open2025
Ten sessions of hyperbaric oxygen versus sham treatment in patients with long covid (HOT-LoCO): a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase II trial.
Trial report in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04842448 (Hyperbaric Oxygen for Treatment of Long COVID Syndrome; A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Phase II Clinical Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Hyperbaric Oxygen for Treatment of Long COVID Syndrome; A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Phase II Clinical Trial
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Designing clinical research on hyperbaric oxygen therapy: a narrative review and practical methodological guide.Trials · 2026Review
- Assessment and management of post-COVID-19 pulmonary complications: a rapid review.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Review
- Exploring Oxygen Therapy as a Supporting Treatment for Asthma: Current Insights and Perspectives.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on sleep quality across diverse patient populations.Frontiers in neurologyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate if 10 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBOTs) improve short- and long-term health related quality of life, symptoms and physical performance in long covid patients compared with placebo.
designParallel, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.
settingSingle-centre, university hospital, Sweden.
participantsPreviously healthy subjects aged 18-60 years, diagnosed with long covid were included. We excluded pregnant women, patients with RAND-36 (role limitations due to physical health (RP) and physical functioning (PF)) above 70, diabetes, hypertension and contraindications for HBOT.
interventionsSubjects were randomly assigned to 10 sessions of HBOT or sham (placebo) treatments over 6 weeks. HBOT involved 100% oxygen, 2.4 bar, 90 min, placebo medical air, 1.34-1.2 bar. Randomisation (1:1) was done electronically, in blocks stratified by sex and disease severity. Subjects and investigators were blinded to allocation. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary endpoints were changes from baseline in RAND-36 PF and RP at 13 weeks. Efficacy was analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. Harms were evaluated according to the actual treatment given.
resultsBetween 15 September 2021 and 20 June 2023, 80 subjects (65 women, 15 men) were enrolled and randomised (40 in each group). The trial is completed. The primary endpoint analysis included 79 subjects (40 in HBOT and 39 in control). At 13 weeks, both groups showed improvement, with no significant difference between HBOT and placebo in PF (least square mean difference between groups (LSD), 0.63 (95% CI -7.04 to 8.29), p=0.87) and RP (LSD, 2.35 (95% CI -5.95 to 10.66), p=0.57). HARMS: 43 adverse events (AEs), most commonly cough and chest pain/discomfort, occurred in 19 subjects (49%) of the HBOT group and 38 AEs in 18 subjects (44%) of the placebo group, one serious AE in HBOT and one death in the placebo group.
conclusions10 HBOT sessions did not show more short-term benefits than placebo for long covid patients. Both groups improved, with a notable sex difference. HBOT has a favourable harm profile. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04842448), EudraCT (2021-000764-30). The trial was funded by Vetenskapsrådet (2022-00834), Region Stockholm (2020-0731, 2022-0674), Hjärt-Lungfonden and OuraHealth Oy.
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