Are pulmonary bleb and bullae a contraindication for hyperbaric oxygen treatment?
Our survey demonstrated that (1) a significant portion of the HBO centers accept patients with pulmonary bleb or bullae, (2) although insufficient, X-ray is the mostly used screening tool for patients with a history of pulmonary disease and (3) the prevalence of pulmonary barotrauma is very low in HBOT.
We found little evidence for socio-economic or geographic differences in the management of hypertension. Variations in treatment rates can be explained by variations in use of primary care and opportunistic screening. Control was poorest among older people who are at the highest risk of cardiovascular events. Socially isolated men and smokers were less likely to be treated or controlled, and need to be targeted by future programmes to detect and treat hypertension.