Efficacy of major ozone autohemotherapy in patients with post-COVID syndrome
Kuculmez O. Frontiers in Medicine, 2026.
- Study type
- Case series
- People studied
- 40 people
- Population
- Patients diagnosed with post-COVID syndrome
- Published
- 2026, Frontiers in Medicine
- Identifiers
- PMID 41767530, DOI 10.3389/fmed.2026.1720578
What the authors reported
A retrospective review of 40 patients given 10 sessions of major ozone autohemotherapy for post-COVID syndrome found statistically significant improvement in anxiety, depression, fatigue, and quality-of-life scores after treatment.
What limits this result
Retrospective single-center chart review with no control group and no blinding; a before-after comparison cannot rule out natural recovery or other concurrent care.
Other ozone methods, such as major autohemotherapy, that clinics cite in support of EBO2. A result for one method does not transfer automatically to another. One study rarely settles a medical question; our guides weigh each paper against the rest of the evidence.
How the study was done
- Design
- Retrospective medical records review study
- Setting
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baskent University Alanya Hospital, Antalya, Türkiye
- Read from
- Read from the full text of the paper. Read on September 28, 2026.
Study arms
| Group | Participants | What they received |
|---|---|---|
| All analyzed patients (single group) | 40 | Major ozone autohemotherapy (MBO), 10 sessions |
Source: Full text on PubMed Central
Procedure as reported
- Ozone concentration
- 20 μg/mL (session 1), 25 μg/mL (session 2), 30 μg/mL (sessions 3 to 10)
In the first session, a 20 μg/mL concentration was administered (100 mL of blood and 100 mL of O₃-O₂ mixture gas), followed by 25 μg/mL in the second session and 30 μg/mL between the third and tenth sessions.
- Blood volume
- 100 cc of blood
A total of 100 cc of blood was collected from patients into the citrated bottles using ozone-resistant serum sets.
- Session length
- Ozonated blood reinfused within 15 min (reinfusion step only)
Afterward, the bottles were inverted, and the ozonated blood was reinfused intravenously into the patients within 15 min using the same serum sets.
- Sessions
- 10 sessions, 2–3 times per week
- Anticoagulant
- 12 mL of 3.13% sodium citrate for 150 mL blood (citrated bottles)
In the paper's own units, not converted.
Source: Full text on PubMed Central
What it measured
- FACIT Fatigue Scale score
- Median 31.0 (0–51) before vs 9.5 (0–31) after treatment; p = 0.001
- Beck Anxiety Inventory score
- Median 7.5 (0–52) before vs 4.0 (0–15) after treatment; p = 0.001
- Beck Depression Inventory score
- Median 5.5 (0–49) before vs 1.0 (0–12) after treatment; p = 0.002
- Global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score
- Median 15 (8–20) before vs 13 (5–20) after treatment; p = 0.016
- PSQI subscores: sleep latency and sleep efficiency
- No significant change in sleep latency (p = 0.059) or sleep efficiency (p = 1.000)
When the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index subscores were evaluated, it was found that there was not any significant change in sleep latency ( p = 0.059) and sleep efficiency ( p = 1.000).
- PSQI subscores: subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbance
- Significantly better scores: subjective sleep quality (p = 0.011), sleep duration (p = 0.008), sleep disturbance (p = 0.034)
- Short Form-36 (SF-36) subscales: physical functioning, role limitations, fatigue
- Significantly better: physical functioning (p = 0.005), role limitations from physical health (p = 0.007), role limitations from emotional issues (p = 0.010), fatigue (p = 0.043)
- SF-36 emotional well-being subscale
- No significant change after treatment (p = 0.394)
When Short Form-36 and subscores were observed, it was found that there was no significant change in only the emotional well-being parameter after the treatment ( p = 0.394).
Sources: Full text on Europe PMC, Full text on PubMed Central
Funding and conflicts
Authors declared the work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest
Source: Full text on PubMed Central
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