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Use of oxygen therapy for pneumocephalus: a systematic review

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Abstract

Pneumocephalus is the pathologic collection of air in the intracranial cavity. In sufficient volumes, it can contribute to symptoms ranging from headaches to death. For conservative treatment, oxygen use is commonplace. Although this is an accepted tenet of clinical practice, it is not necessarily founded on robust trials. An electronic search of databases EMBASE and MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library was undertaken as per the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Three articles were included. Although the modes of oxygen delivery were heterogenous (non-rebreather versus endotracheal versus hyperbaric chamber), all studies concluded favorably on the use of oxygen therapy for increased reabsorption of pneumocephalus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Auckland City Hospital, 2 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand

    B. J. H. Kim, J. A. Correia, A. J. J. Law & C. Y. Kow

  2. Department of General Surgery, Auckland City Hospital, 2 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand

    M. Y. Ji

  3. Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    J. C. C. Chen

Authors
  1. B. J. H. Kim
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  2. M. Y. Ji
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  3. J. C. C. Chen
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  4. J. A. Correia
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  5. A. J. J. Law
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  6. C. Y. Kow
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Bernard J.H. Kim and Maria Y. Ji. The final draft of the manuscript was written by Bernard J.H. Kim and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to B. J. H. Kim.

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Kim, B.J.H., Ji, M.Y., Chen, J.C.C. et al. Use of oxygen therapy for pneumocephalus: a systematic review. Neurosurg Rev 47, 30 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-023-02261-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-023-02261-4

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