Posted by lc bob on April 12, 1999 at 21:03:40:
In Reply to: They will not prescribe O2 posted by mary on April 12, 1999 at 05:12:56:
are these people witchdoctors?? damn their lazy asses!! show 'em THIS!!! Maybe you have to tatoo it to their blasted foreheads!!
damn, this pisses me off!! can't they READ??? my 10-year old nephew is more competent that them! sssssizzle!!!!
-lcb
p.s. web site source included
HlSTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF NORMOBARIC OXYGEN IN THE SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT OF
CLUSTER HEADACHE
DJ Capobianco Jacksonville, FL
Objective.-Review the historical development of normobaric oxygen in the acute treatment of cluster headache.
Background.-The use of normobaric oxygen in the treatment of headache can be traced back to Drs. Boothby, Alvarez, and
Horton of the Mayo Clinic. Method.-Review of published papers. Results.-In 1938, under the direction of Walter M.
Boothby, MD, oxygen therapy was employed in the symptomatic treatment of headache. Alvarez reported the beneficial
response of 100% oxygen, delivered at a flow rate of between 6 to 8 liters per minute, as abortive treatment for
headache.1 Unfortunately, it is difficult to know if this included patients with cluster headache. Bayard T. Horton was the
first to note that inhaling 100% oxygen alleviated a cluster attack, if taken during the initial headache phase.2 Friedman
and Mikropoulos3 and later, Graham4, also noted this beneficial response of oxygen inhalation for cluster headache. In
1978, an optometrist, Jerold F. Janks, published his own personal account of oxygen's beneficial role in the treatment of
cluster headache.5 Kudrow elaborated further on Horton's finding. He noted that 75% of outpatients treated with 100%
oxygen administered via face mask at 7 liters per minute, experienced complete or near complete relief within 15
minutes.6 Anthony found that oxygen inhalation was beneficial in all 12 patients studied.7 Fogan, in the only double-blind
control study, demonstrated that oxygen inhalation provided complete or substantial relief in at least 80% of patients'
cluster attacks.8 Conclusion.-Bayard T. Horton deserves credit for discovering the beneficial role of oxygen inhalation in
the symptomatic treatment of cluster headache. The elegant work of Drs. Kudrow, Anthony, and Fogan further
corroborated Horton's initial findings.
1. Alvarez WC, Mason AY. Results obtained in the treatment of headache with the inhalation of pure oxygen. Mayo Clin
Proc. 1940;15:616-618. 2. Horton BT. Histaminic cephalgia. Lancet. 1952;72:92-98. 3. Friedman AP, Mikropoulos HE.
Cluster headaches. Neurology. 1958;8:653-663. 4. Graham JR. Cluster headache. In: Appenzeller O, ed. Pathogenesis and
Treatment of Headaches. New York: Spectrum Publications; 1976:93-108. 5. Janks JF. Oxygen for cluster headaches.
JAMA. 1978;239:191. 6. Kudrow L. Response of cluster headache attacks to oxygen inhalation. Headache. 1981;21:1-4.
7. Anthony M. Treatment of attacks of cluster headache with oxygen inhalation. Clin Exp Neurol. 1981;18:195. 8. Fogan
L. Treatment of cluster headache. A double-blind comparison of oxygen vs air inhalation. Arch Neurol. 1985;42:362-363.
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