Background: Cerebral stroke is the third leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease, cancerand the leading cause of disability for patients. Hyperbaric oxygen is a non-drug treatment that hasthe potential to improve brain function for patients with ischaemic stroke. The objective of this study wasto evaluate the results of treatment of acute cerebral infarction with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).Materials and methods: This was a case-control study. One hundred ninety-five patients diagnosed withcerebral infarction, with signs of onset within 24 hours, were treated at the Centre for Underwater Medicineand Hyperbaric Oxygen of Vietnam National Institute of Maritime Medicine during the period from January2020 to December 2022. Study group included 100 patients with acute cerebral infarction treated witha combination of HBOT and medication and reference group included 95 patients treated by medicationonly (antiplatelets drugs, statins, control of associated risks factors)Results: After 7 days of treatment with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), symptoms such as headache, dizziness,nausea, sensory disturbances, and Glasgow score of the study group improved better than that of the referencegroup (p < 0.01). Movement recovery in the study group was better than the reference group:the percentage of patients with mild and moderate paralysis in the study group increased higher than thatof the reference group (86.0% and 68.4%), the degree of complete paralysis of the study group decreasedmore than that of the reference group (14.0% and 31.6%). The degree of independence in daily activitiesin the study group was better than the reference group. In the study group, the percentage of patients withcomplete independence in daily life increased from 27.0% to 84.0%. In the reference group, the rate of patientswho were independent in their daily activities increased from 37.9% to 51.6%. The average numberof treatment days of the study group was 10.32 ± 2.41 days and it the reference group 14.51 ± 3.24 days.Conclusions: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a non-drug treatment with many good effects in the treatmentof cerebral infarction, especially acute cerebral infarction. HBOT reduces and improves functional symptoms,improves mobility, and reduces treatment time for patients
