Optimizing Clinical Outcomes by Managing Big Data: the Case of Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been approved by US insurers in the treatment of certain conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers, radiation injuries, chronic osteomyelitis, and acute flap failure. The scientific evidence for its effectiveness has been called into question by a recent Cochrane review, and since undergoing a complete course of therapy costs several hundreds of thousands of dollars (US), there is pressure to determine which patients may benefit from the therapy. We undertook a screening tool called Ingenuity Pathways Analysis to analyze published information regarding the gene products associated with HBOT to determine which might be useful in signaling responsiveness to the therapy. We identified a cluster of genes that after exposure to just one episode of HBOT are upregulated, and these are associated with limb salvage and better healing.

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