Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a form of treatment in which a patient breathes 100% oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure. It aims to increase the amount of oxygen that blood can carry to promote healing and fight infection.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat a variety of medical conditions, like arterial gas embolism; decompression sickness; carbon monoxide poisoning; acute traumatic wound; crush injury; gangrene; compartment syndrome; skin or bone infection ; radiation injuries; burns; non healing ulcers as in diabetes; decubitus ulcers (bed sores).
Research regarding effectivity of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is under way, for conditions like Autism, cerebral palsy, arthritis, cancer, fibromyalgia, cirrhosis, stroke, etc.
PROCEDURE
Hyperbaric Oxygen may be administered in a Monoplace chamber wherein a single patient is placed in a chamber which is then pressurized with 100% Oxygen. Monoplace chambers are used to treat stable patients with chronic medical conditions.
Multiplace chamber are used to treat many patients at the same time and when treating critically ill patients who require a medical attendant within the chamber. These chambers are pressurized with compressed air while the patient breathes 100% Oxygen through special masks or Oxygen Hoods. The treatment control panel controls the therapy and monitors the patient during the treatment. Most therapy is given at 2 or 3 ATA.
DURATION
Average duration of therapy is 60 to 90 minutes. Number of therapies may vary from 3-5 for acute conditions, 25-30 for non healing wounds, to 50-60 for radiation illnesses.
It is performed as an outpatient procedure and does not require hospitalization.
RECOVERY
Patient comes out of the chamber feeling light headed, sweating, thirsty or a little tired, but this goes away within a few minutes and normal activity can be resumed.
RISKS
- Slight pain in the ears (aural barotrauma) due to a blocked Eustachian tube.
- Fatigue/Headache
- Pneumothorax and air embolism
- Transient reversible myopia
- Feeling claustrophobic
- Seizures
- Fire/explosion in chamber