Hyperbaric Treatment for Wounds

Generally, treatments are scheduled daily, Monday through Friday. Occasionally, some HBOT conditions require treatment 2 or 3 times per day, or over weekends.

Patients being treated should not use any tobacco products. Tobacco products of any kind will cause your blood vessels to narrow, making treatments less beneficial.

There are no eating restrictions when receiving hyperbaric treatments. Continue any special diet for diabetes, kidney failure, etc.

Hyperbaric treatments should not change the effectiveness of most medications.

What to expect
Routine hyperbaric treatments last approximately 2 hours. Treatments should be painless. Because of the air pressure changes in the chamber, a patient’s ears will have a sense of fullness when the chamber compresses, similar to flying in an airplane. If there is any pain during the treatment, patients should notify the hyperbaric attendant.

If wound care is required, the wound care and/or hyperbaric staff will perform dressing changes on patients prior to or immediately after their treatment. Patients will be assigned a specific time for their care. The hyperbaric physician will see a patient based on his/her condition. The hyperbaric staff will update the physician on the patient’s progress.

Rarely, some patients may experience temporary visual changes due to hyperbaric treatments. Patients should not buy any new glasses or contact lenses during hyperbaric treatment. Vision status will stabilize 6–8 weeks after treatments have ended.

What does HBOT feel like?
The sensation can be similar to that experienced while flying and/or landing in an airplane or diving under water. As pressure builds, it is common to feel pressure in the ears. As the pressure is released, the ears “pop” automatically. Most patients rest comfortably throughout treatment. Many read, sleep or listen to music. Because the temperature increases during pressurization, HBOT chambers are equipped with air conditioning to ensure patient comfort.

The chamber is a solid steel somewhat oval shaped. It is similar to a huge boiler tank. The one I use can hold six patients and one tech. You start out with the atmosphere inside the chamber simulating going 40 feet under sea level. So you are constantly trying to pop your ears for about 10 minutes. Once the chamber is pressurized, you then put on a mask and start breathing pure oxygen. You do this for 45 minutes then you get a 5 minute break. Then another 45 minutes wearing the mask. Then you remove the mask and decompress for about 10 minutes then your done. The purpose is to send 2-3 times the amount of oxygen and enriched blood to the wound area to help it heal. I had two toes amputated and with bad circulation in the foot I needed additional help to heal the wound. So far I have had 17 treatments and all indications are that it is helping the wound to heal. Hope this explains the treatment. The hospital has two chambers...Boxman

2 multiplace (multi-person) chambers:

9x26 foot double-lock steel chamber

capable of treatment at four times atmospheric pressure (ATA)
6-patient capacity

8x20 foot steel recompression chamber

capable of treatment at seven times atmospheric pressure (ATA)
fully-equipped for emergency cases such as diving accidents and carbon monoxide poisoning
2-patient capacity