[The effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on the secretory, motor function and microcirculation of the stomach and duodenal walls in patients with duodenal ulcers].

A total of 22 patients with duodenal ulcer were examined for secretory and motor functions, microcirculation of the gastroduodenal wall and changes in the stomach-duodenum interrelations under the influence of hyperbaric oxygenation. Of these, group I included 9 patients with active ulcer; group II 13 persons with a healing ulcer. To assess gastric and duodenal functions, use was made of pH-metry combined with the measurement of intraluminal pressure by "open catheters". Microcirculation of the gastroduodenal wall was estimated by the radiation method. The studies have shown that the patients with active ulcer treated by hyperbaric oxygenation manifested a decrease of motor activity of both stomach and duodenum, an improvement of acid-neutralizing function of the stomach, a reduction of the duration of duodenum acidification, a greater normalization of microcirculation in the duodenal wall than in the gastric wall. In the patients with healing ulcers, the duodenal motility returned to normal, the initially elevated gastric motility fell to normal, the acidification of the duodenal bulb declined, and the regional blood flow returned to normal. It may thus be concluded that the positive impact of hyperbaric oxygenation on gastroduodenal function was more pronounced in the patients with healing ulcers where a more considerable decrease of motor activity was not accompanied by duodenal motility suppression.