Veterans
Fri, 12/02/2011 - 18:33 | 
Edward Lucarini
INTERPRETATION OF HARCH JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA STUDY
ON HBOT IN VETERANS WITH BLAST-INDUCED TBI AND PTSD
Posted by Paul G Harch MD
Ground-Breaking Study on Treatment of U.S. War Veterans with TBI and PTSD Published
On November 22, 2011 the long-awaited preliminary results of the LSU Pilot Trial of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in chronic blast-induced mild-moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI)/post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were published online. And, the results are stunning. The article appears in the prestigious peer-reviewed Journal of Neurotrauma as a Fast Track article under the Open Access Option at: liebertonline.com. The study, originally designed to test safety and feasibility, reinforced the historical safety and feasibility of the protocol, but at the same time significantly improved the veterans, their disabling symptoms, and quality of life.
The study was conducted by Dr. Paul G. Harch and colleagues at LSU School of Medicine New Orleans, the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, and the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine and Amen Clinics. Sixteen active duty and retired U.S. veterans were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy nearly three years after brain injuries and PTSD caused by improvised explosive device (IED) and rocket-propelled grenade explosions. All of the veterans had been diagnosed by military and/or civilian specialists with PCS and PTSD before coming to New Orleans to enter the study. These diagnoses were confirmed by the study authors before treatment. All veterans were significantly affected by a variety of classic PCS and PTSD symptoms and had abnormal neurological exams and cognitive testing.
Tags: Fri, 04/15/2011 - 23:26 | HBOT Staff
HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY:
FROM LOUISIANA BOXERS TO U.S. VETERANS, AN AMERICAN CHRONOLOGY
PAUL G. HARCH, M.D.
CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
LSU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NEW ORLEANS
The application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be traced to clinical practice and research in South Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana. It is well known that the practice of HBOT in chronic neurological conditions was pioneered by the late Dr. Richard Neubauer in the 1970s. Beginning with a serendipitous finding of gratuitous neurological improvement in two multiple sclerosis patients undergoing HBOT for chronic bone infections, Dr. Neubauer began applying HBOT to patients with other neurological conditions, primarily stroke. In 1994, he published his first case of HBOT treatment of chronic TBI in the Southern Medical Journal.
Chad Rovira Acute TBI treated with HBOT
Mon, 07/19/2010 - 03:57 | HBOT Staff
"We are treating TBI/PTSD, we are restoring lives - not just talking about it!" states Juliette from Dr Harch's office.
Following the recent NPR/ProPublica series on veteran suicides and treatment for TBI and PTSD Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma called for an emergent hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. During the hearing General Chandler (Vice Chief of Staff, Air Force), mentioned to Senator Levin that the Air Force was having success treating airmen with hyperbaric oxygen. While not specifically stated General Chandler was likely referring to the experience of Dr. Eddie Zant in Fort Walton Beach, Florida who had been treating brain injured airmen from nearby Eglin Air Force Base. Dr. Zant has treated over a dozen brain injured airmen using the HBOT protocol developed for chronic TBI by Dr. Paul Harch of LSU School of Medicine, New Orleans. Dr. Harch is the founding president of the International Hyperbaric Medical Association and current president of the International Hyperbaric Medical Foundation. IHMF. Dr. Harch submitted the unsolicited attached "Testimony for the Record" to the Committee in June calling attention to the possible contribution of off-label FDA blackbox labeled drugs to the suicide epidemic in U.S. veterans. The testimony also announced to the committee the effectiveness of HBOT in the treatment of blast-induced TBI, the possibility of preventing suicides if HBOT could be delivered in a timely fashion, and the commencement of N-BIRR, the National Brain Injury Rescue and Rehabilitation Project. At Senator Inhofe’s direction Dr. Harch’s testimony will be included in the hearing record.
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 04:26 | HBOT Staff
Dr. Harch, a hero in the making for brain injury patients
From the Digital Journal
Sadly when it comes to obtaining this treatment governments do not currently cover the costs.New research on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatment(HBOT) for TBI will be presented next week at the 8th World Congress on Brain Injury in Washington DC.
After the initial positive findings of two Airmen who were treated with HBOT after being disabled during a roadside burning were complete Dr. Harch returned to continue his study.
Fifteen symptomatic U.S. military veterans who had been diagnosed by either military or civilian neuropsychologists and neurologists for TBI from blast-induced PCS(2) or PCS/PTSD(13) took part in the second study.
Subjects completed cognitive testing, brain imaging (identical to the imaging in the online case above in Cases Journal) , symptom and quality of life questionnaires, and affective measures pre and immediately post a course of forty HBOT sessions. The sessions took place twice a day, five days a week for four weeks.
After the thirty day course of HBOT treatment the subjects all showed significant symptomatic, cognitive, and affective improvements.
Tue, 02/10/2009 - 13:54 | Juliette Lucari...
The Advocate
Baton Rouge, LA, Newspaper
February 6, 2009
Dr. Paul Harch, an LSU Health Sciences Center emergency medicine professor, is starting a pilot study on treating people with chronic traumatic brain and posttraumatic stress disorder, according to a statement from LSU Health Sciences Center.
The study will examine 30 participants, half with traumatic brain injury and half with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, the statement says.
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