What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is based on one simple fact: oxygen heals.

During a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) treatment session, a patient is given 100 percent oxygen in a pressurized hyperbaric chamber. HBOT is an established treatment for decompression sickness, a hazard of scuba diving. Under normal circumstances, oxygen is transported throughout the body via red blood cells. With HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all of the body's fluid systems including plasma, central nervous system fluids, the lymph system, and the bone. The increased oxygen greatly enhances the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria, reduces swelling and allows new blood vessels to grow more rapidly into the affected areas.

How does HBOT work with wound care?

Wounds need oxygen to heal. When a wound does not receive enough oxygen, it is not able to heal properly and is at a higher risk for infection. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy allows the wound to receive 100 percent oxygen and provides several benefits including:

• The ability to preserve injured tissue
• The ability to create more blood vessels to improve circulation. The better the circulation, the faster wounds can heal.
• Increase white blood cell activity which aids in fighting off infection.
• Reduced inflammation

Below are some of the approved indications for HBOT as it relates to wound care:

• Diabetic Wounds of the Lower Extremities (DWLE)
• Gas Gangrene
• Acute Traumatic Ischemias
• Enhancement of Healing In Selected Problem Wounds
• Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
• Osteomyelitis (Refractory)
• Delayed Radiation Injury (Soft Tissue and Bony Necrosis)
• Compromised Grafts and Flaps
• Acute Thermal Burn Injury

HBOT is an effective adjunctive therapy used in conjunction with advanced wound care. Along with proper attention to nutrition and other underlying medical problems, greater healing results are achieved.