Effects of perioperative hydrogen inhalation on brain edema and prognosis in patients with glioma: a single-center, randomized controlled study
Wu F et al. · Front Neurol. 2024;15:1413904.
Study at a glance
Human
Adults undergoing first surgery for glioma without prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy
Nasal inhalation of the generated H₂–O₂ mixture for more than 2 hours daily from admission until discharge · Approximately 66.7% H₂ + 33.3% O₂ by volume; the article uses 66%/33.3% and 66.7%/33.3% in different passages.
More than 2 hours daily from hospital admission through discharge
Before discharge, edema volume was 11.5 ± 8.75 cm³ with H₂–O₂ versus 21.44 ± 19.51 cm³ in control (p=0.006), and edema regression was greater (p=0.041). Edema at all five earlier time points did not differ. Several day-3 sleep and pain measures differed, while inflammatory laboratory measures, length of stay and postoperative complications did not.
Single-center perioperative trial with 25 of 100 assessed patients absent from the analyzed set, multiple outcomes and only one late edema time point showing a difference. The study did not test tumor control, recurrence or survival despite the word ‘prognosis’ in its title. Public academic grants funded the study; authors declared no commercial conflicts.
What kind of evidence is this?
Human
Single-center randomized controlled parallel trial
Brain tumors — glioma and glioblastoma
Inhaled H₂
Information not yet classified
Some editorial classification fields are still pending. The source-reported outcomes and result are shown below; Hydrogenology does not infer a positive or negative signal from prose automatically.
Methods
Adults undergoing first surgery for glioma without prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy
100 assessed; 89 randomized; 75 analyzed: control n=37 and H₂–O₂ n=38
More than 2 hours daily from hospital admission through discharge
Nasal inhalation of the generated H₂–O₂ mixture for more than 2 hours daily from admission until discharge
Brown’s gas / oxyhydrogen — H₂ and O₂ co-delivered, not H₂ alone.
Approximately 66.7% H₂ + 33.3% O₂ by volume; the article uses 66%/33.3% and 66.7%/33.3% in different passages.
Not reported — cannot be calculated because the article does not state the intervention’s total mixed-gas flow.
33.3% O₂ by volume; O₂ flow is not reported. The control’s separate 0.5 L/min pure O₂ mixed with 2.5 L/min air must not be used to infer the intervention flow.
33.3% oxygen delivered by mixing 0.5 L/min pure O₂ with 2.5 L/min air
Outcomes and reported result
CT-measured peri-tumoral brain edema, edema regression, sleep, pain, laboratory measures and postoperative complications
Before discharge, edema volume was 11.5 ± 8.75 cm³ with H₂–O₂ versus 21.44 ± 19.51 cm³ in control (p=0.006), and edema regression was greater (p=0.041). Edema at all five earlier time points did not differ. Several day-3 sleep and pain measures differed, while inflammatory laboratory measures, length of stay and postoperative complications did not.
The complete open-access publisher article, all nine outcome tables, participant flow, funding and conflict statement were checked; positive and null results are represented and the unreported intervention flow is explicitly marked.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Single-center perioperative trial with 25 of 100 assessed patients absent from the analyzed set, multiple outcomes and only one late edema time point showing a difference. The study did not test tumor control, recurrence or survival despite the word ‘prognosis’ in its title. Public academic grants funded the study; authors declared no commercial conflicts.
Adults undergoing first glioma surgery under this perioperative protocol; this is not evidence that H₂ treats the tumor itself.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
PMID: 39099781 · DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1413904
Open-access publisher and PMC full texts are available.
Frontiers and PMC full articles plus the PubMed record; full-text and article-status check completed 8 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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