Q- Who will benefit from
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Ans- HBOT has been proven effective for many medical
conditions, and as a result the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society, one
of the premier research institutes, has approved following indications:
·
Air or Gas Embolism
·
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning &
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Complicated by Cyanide Poisoning
·
Clostridia Myositis and Myonecrosis
(Gas Gangrene)
·
Crush Injury, Compartment Syndrome,
and other Acute Traumatic Ischemia
·
Decompression Sickness
·
Enhancement of healing in selected
problem wounds
·
Exceptional Blood Loss (Anaemia)
·
Intracranial Abscess
·
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
·
Refractory Osteomyelitis
·
Delayed Radiation Injury (Soft Tissue
and Bony Necrosis)
·
Compromised Skin Grafts & Flaps
·
Thermal Burns
Q- What
is it NOT used for?
Ans- Similar to all treatment modalities, HBOT is not used
for diseases where there is no clinical evidence that it works. There have been
claims that HBOT might help with problems like aging skin, or to prolong normal
healthy life. Those have not been documented nor accepted in the wider medical
community.
Q- How long is a hyperbaric
treatment?
Ans- Except for decompression sickness and arterial gas
embolism, the typical treatments are approximately two hours long. Patients are
generally treated once a day, but sometimes may require therapy twice a day.
Each single treatment session lasts about 2 hours. This includes 90 minutes in
the chamber plus another ½ hour for preparation before, and observation after.
The number of treatments required would depend on the type of problem that you
have. The hyperbaric doctor will determine your treatment schedule. Normal
treatment days are Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. You must be on
time for your session since any delays affect the treatment of all patients. A
late arrival may result in the cancellation of your treatment. If you are
unable to attend your session because of an urgent problem, please call.
Q- How
many treatments are needed?
Ans- A patient's clinical response and other factors often
dictate the number of treatments required. Emergency cases, such as carbon
monoxide poisoning, arterial gas embolism or decompression sickness, may only
require one or two treatments. Non-healing wounds may call for as many as 20 to
30 treatments.
Q- How
does a hyperbaric treatment feel like?
Ans- The treatment is painless. At the beginning and end of
your treatment, you may notice a feeling of fullness in your ears. This is much
like the feeling when flying in an airplane or diving underwater. As your
eardrums respond to the changing pressure, you may hear popping or crackling
noises. The Paramedic / Nurse will teach you how to relieve this sensation by
clearing your ears.
·
The first thing you do to prepare for
your treatment is to change into a suit made of a fire retardant fabric or 100%
cotton.
·
The staff will assist you in entering
the treatment chamber. You will be positioned at your seat.
·
Now we are ready to pressurize the
chamber, this is when you need to clear your ears. Compression takes about
10-15 minutes and you will have to clear your ears several times during this
phase. If you have P.E. tubes you do not need to clear your ears. Notify the
inside attendant at the first sign of discomfort in your ears or sinuses so we
can stop compression and help you. The Technician / Doctor will adjust the rate
of compression to reduce the fullness in your ears.
·
You will notice the air gets warm during
compression. When our treatment pressure is attained, we will vent out the warm
air and ventilate with fresh air for the whole time of the treatment. The
chamber has an air conditioning system. Treatment normally ends after about 90
minutes
·
The inside observer will place your
Oxygen mask / hood on and set the oxygen flow and exhaust dump hose to the
proper settings. Hoods, neck rings and console panel are the responsibility of
the inside observer and should not be operated by the patient. Neck rings must remain
on until the end of the treatment. The staff will assist you in removing the
neck rings.
·
After your treatment is finished we
slowly decompress the chamber. This takes another 10 - 15 minutes. Don't try to
clear your ears during the decompression phase. Your ears will clear
automatically.
Safety is important...
To decrease the risks of fire inside the chamber, we take
several precautions. The oxygen concentration inside the chamber is constantly
monitored and kept at a safe level. Everyone inside should wear clothes of 100%
cotton or fire retardant material.
·
In the unlikely event that a fire occurs,
the inside observer will provide you with guidelines to follow. Try to stay in
your seat. A fire deluge system will be activated.
Consent
We cannot legally treat you without your written consent.
You will be asked to sign a form consenting to treatments and photographs (of
wounds).
Q- Are
there side effects to HBO?
Ans- When used in standard protocols
hyperbaric oxygen therapy is safe. Commonest side effect may be slight
discomfort or pain in the ears (aural barotrauma) if the ears are not able to
equalize pressure. Pneumothorax and air embolism and transient reversible
myopia after prolonged HBO therapy are rare complications. An occasional
patient may be claustrophobic. Rarely, patients feel light-headed for a few
moments after treatment. This ends quickly and does not interfere with normal
activity.
Q- What
are the methods of equalizing pressure in our Middle Ear?
Ans- The Valsalva Manoeuvre
·
Hold your nose closed and close your
mouth.
·
Lift the back of your tongue toward the
roof of your mouth.
·
Attempt to blow through your nose
(short and sharp) while holding it shut.
Other Methods
·
You can try to yawn; swallow or drink
sips of water.
·
You will have to repeat this procedure
several times during the pressurization phase of treatment
If you have difficulty with your ears, notify an
inside attendant immediately. Don't wait until it hurts.
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