Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a well-established treatment for decompression sickness, a hazard of scuba diving. Other conditions treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy include serious infections, bubbles of air in your blood vessels, and wounds that won't heal as a result of diabetes or radiation injury.
In a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, the air pressure is increased to three times higher than normal air pressure. Under these conditions, your lungs can gather more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure.
Your blood carries this oxygen throughout your body. This helps fight bacteria and stimulate the release of substances called growth factors and stem cells, which promote healing
Why Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Your body's tissues need an adequate supply of oxygen to function. When tissue is injured, it requires even more oxygen to survive. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. An increase in blood oxygen temporarily restores normal levels of blood gases and tissue function to promote healing and fight infection.
Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
- Diabetic ulcers of the lower extremities
- Progressive necrotizing infection / fasciitis
- Soft tissue radionecrosis and osteoradionecrosis
- Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency
- Acute carbon monoxide intoxication
- Chronic refractory osteomyelitis
- Cyanide poisoning
- Compromised skin grafts and flaps
- Decompression illness
- Actinomycosis
- Gas embolism
- Crush injury
- Gas gangrene
- Acute traumatic peripheral ischemia