Dried salted plum consumption ameliorates hyperbaric oxygen therapy-induced otalgia severity at the first chamber session: a prospective randomized controlled study
Authors:   Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Meng Fan-Chun , Shen Chih-Hao ,   Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Chu Chi-Ming ,   Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Shih Cheng-Ping ,   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Lin Hung-Che ,   Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Peng Chung-Kan ,   Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Chang Shun Cheng ,   Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, Shuang-Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan,   Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, Huang Kun-Lun ,   Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan,   Graduate Institute of Aerospace and Undersea Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Published: January 2018

Purpose: One of the most common complications of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy is middle ear barotrauma (MEB), occasionally causing otalgia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dried salted plum consumption on MEB and otalgia associated with HBO2 therapy. Materials and methods: Patients undergoing the first chamber session of HBO2 therapy were included in the present prospective randomized controlled trial. The Valsalva maneuver was administered to all patients before HBO2. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: one that ate a dried salted plum during HBO2 treatment and the other that did not. An otoscopic examination was performed after HBO2 therapy. The MEB was graded according to Teed scores. The degree of otalgia was recorded using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results: Ninety patients were enrolled. The overall incidence of MEB (Teed score grade 1~4) was 39.6% (21 of 53) for patients administered a dried salted plum versus 37.8% (14 of 37) for the control group (P=1.000). The incidence of mild MEB (Teed score grade 1~2) and severe MEB (Teed score Grade 3~4) between the two groups was not significantly different. Otalgia was present in 5.7% (3 of 53) of patients administered a dried salted plum versus 18.9% (7 of 37) for the control group (P=.085). No patients administered a dried salted plum had a VAS score ≥4 for otalgia versus 10.8% (4 of 37) for the control group (P=.026). Conclusions: Dried salted plum consumption does not decrease the incidence of MEB, but may ameliorate the severity of first chamber session HBO2-induced otalgia.