Medical Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the use of 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure. It is well established in the treatment of injuries due to diving accidents.

There are other medical and surgical diseases which respond well to this therapy. HBOT is used for treatment of the following conditions recognized by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Committee on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

 There are now 14 medical conditions known to respond to HBOT that are covered by OHIP:

1. Air or gas embolism
2. Carbon Monoxide poisoning and/or cyanide poisoning
3. Clostridial myositis and myonecrosis (gas gangrene)
4. Crush injury, compartment syndrome and other acute traumatic ischemias
5. Decompression sickness
6. Enhancement of healing in selected problem wounds
7. Exceptional blood loss
8. Intracranial abscess
9. Necrotizing soft tissue infections (subcutaneous tissue, muscle, fascia)
10. Osteomyelitis (refractory)
11. Delayed radiation injury (soft tissue and bony necrosis)
12. Skin grafts and flaps (compromised)
13. Thermal burns
14. Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL)

Not all patients with these conditions would meet the requirements for HBOT. As research in hyperbaric medicine continues, more conditions for hyperbaric therapy may be identified.