What is Hyperbaric?
Hyperbaric medicine, also known as hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), is the medical use of oxygen at a level higher than atmospheric pressure (the pressure of the air around us).
The equipment required consists of a pressure chamber and a means of delivering 100% oxygen. The doctor prescribes and monitors this therapy.
There are two components to HBOT : oxygen and pressure. Different pressures are used for different conditions based on a doctor’s prescription.
While the value of hyperbaric treatment of S.C.U.B.A. diving injuries like Decompression Sickness and Air Embolism is well established, there are also medical and surgical conditions which respond quite well to this therapy.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society recognizes hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an effective treatment for the following specific conditions:
- Air or gas embolism
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Carbon monoxide poisoning complicated by cyanide poisoning
- Clostridial myositis and myonecrosis (gas gangrene)
- Crush injury, compartment syndrome and other acute traumatic ischemias
- Decompression sickness
- Arterial insufficiencies - central retinal artery occlusion
- Arterial insufficiencies - enhancement of healing in selected wound problems
- Severe anemia
- Intracranial abscess
- Necrotizing soft tissue infections
- Osteomyelitis (refractory)
- Delayed radiation injury (soft tissue and bony necrosis)
- Compromised grafts and flaps
- Acute thermal burn injury
- Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL)