幽門螺旋桿菌(Helicobacter pylori)為一種微嗜氧菌，如果其週遭之氧氣濃度過高，便容易產生死
亡。目前臨床上第一線治療幽門螺旋桿菌感染的除菌處方成功率約為80%至95%，仍有不少除菌失敗的案例。因此我們進行此前瞻性先驅研究，探討高壓氧治療(hyperbaric oxygen therapy)是否可以根除人類之幽門螺旋桿菌感染。我們自民國92年12月至93年8月，共有4位慢性骨髓炎併幽門螺旋桿菌感染患者進入本研究。接受4週高壓氧治療，並於研究之前、中、後以尿素吹氣檢查評估細菌存在情況。結果顯示4位具幽門螺旋桿菌感染之患者在高壓氧治療的過程中，二位尿素吹氣檢驗(urea breath test)數值呈下跌之變化，一位患者數值不變，另一位患者尿素吹氣檢驗數值呈輕度上升。而四位患者於治療結束時，尿素吹氣檢查皆仍呈陽性反應。我們的結論是現有之高壓氧治療方式並無法根除人類胃內之幽門螺旋桿菌，是否可藉延長高壓氧的時間或增加治療的頻次以根除幽門螺旋桿菌，仍有待進一步之研究。

Background and aims: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a microaerophilic microorganism. Aerophilic environment may lead the death of H. pylori. Currently, the eradication rate of standard triple therapy of H. pylori infection ranges from 80% to 95%. A significant number of H. pylori-positive patients remain infected after first-line therapy. We therefore conducted the prospective pilot study to investigate whether hyperbaric
therapy can eradicate H. pylori infection in human. Methods: From December 2003 to August 2004, 4 H. pylori-infected patients with chronic osteomyelitis were enrolled in the study and underwent 4-weeks hyperbaric oxygen therapy for osteomyelitis. Urea breath test for assessing the bacterial load of H. pylori was performed before, during and after hyperbaric therapy. Results: During the period of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the values of urea breath test dramatically decreased in 2 patients, mildly increased in one, and remained unchanged in the other. The mean values of breath test of the 4 patients during and after hyperbaric therapy were similar to that before therapy (p value=0.30 and 0.38 respectively). However, successful eradication of H. pylori did not achieve in any enrolled patients. Conclusion: Current hyperbaric oxygen therapy is unable to eradicate H. pylori in infected persons. Whether prolonging treatment duration or increasing frequency of hyperbaric oxygen therapy can eliminate H. pylori deserves further investigations.