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Oxygen for Coronavirus

Phase 2 & 3
Waitlist Available
Led By Sylvain Boet, MD, PhD
Research Sponsored by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up measured on day 28
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

At least 1 in 6 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital to receive extra oxygen will die of complications. In patients with COVID-19, invasive treatment such as mechanical ventilation (e.g. breathing with a machine) is associated with a 50% increased risk of death. Invasive treatments use a lot of healthcare resources in intensive care units and may lead to further deaths if patients do not have access to care. The investigators aim to improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients by implementing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). HBOT allows patients to breathe 100% oxygen in a special chamber at a pressure higher than sea level. It is approved by Health Canada for 14 conditions. HBOT is safe when administered by experienced teams. There are two main causes of death in severe COVID-19 respiratory infections: (i) a decreased diffusion of oxygen from the lungs to the blood and (ii) an increased inflammatory response (also called a "cytokine storm"). HBOT leads to increased oxygen level in blood, has strong anti-inflammatory effects, and may destroy the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease. The initial experience with HBOT and COVID-19 from China, France and the United States is promising in that it prevents further worsening of the condition and need for intensive care. The investigators propose to test the effectiveness of HBOT for COVID-19 patients who are admitted to hospital to receive extra oxygen. Using the most rigorous and innovative research methods, this Canadian-led international study will operate at 5 centers across 3 countries (Canada: Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton; Switzerland: Geneva; UK: Rugby/London). The investigators anticipate that when treated by HBOT, COVID-19 patients needing extra oxygen to breathe will see significant health improvements as well as a decrease in complications, inflammation in the blood, need for invasive care, death, and cost of care.

Eligible Conditions
  • Coronavirus

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~measured on day 28
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and measured on day 28 for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Secondary study objectives
7-level COVID Ordinal Outcome Scale
Daily oxygen flow values required to obtain saturation values ≥90%
Days on invasive mechanical ventilation or high flow oxygenation
+9 more

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: HBOTExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
These patients will receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in addition to usual treatment for COVID-19. HBOT sessions will be 75 minutes in length at a pressure of 2.0 ATA.
Group II: ControlActive Control1 Intervention
These patients will receive usual treatment for COVID-19, including oxygenation at normal atmospheric pressure (normobaric oxygenation).
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Oxygen
2013
Completed Phase 4
~12210

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Ottawa Hospital Research InstituteLead Sponsor
575 Previous Clinical Trials
3,094,647 Total Patients Enrolled
Climate FoundationUNKNOWN
Sylvain Boet, MD, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorThe Ottawa Hospital
2 Previous Clinical Trials
225 Total Patients Enrolled
~52 spots leftby Nov 2025