hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO)

A treatment in which the patient is placed in a chamber and breathes oxygen at higher-than-atmospheric pressure. This high-pressure oxygen stops bacteria from growing and, at high enough pressure, kills them.

Mentioned in: Flesh-Eating Disease, Ozone Therapy, Smoke Inhalation

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hyperbaric oxygen therapy

The administration of O₂ in a chamber at > sea-level atmospheric pressure, which ↑ O₂ dissolved in the blood from 1.5g/dL to 6.0 g/dL and O₂ tension in tissues to nearly 400 mm Hg; this surfeit of O₂ has various biochemical, cellular, physiologic benefits Emergency medicine HOT is used in decompression sickness, in gas embolism, extreme blood loss anemia, and as adjunctive therapy for clostridial myonecrosis and gangrene, crush injury and compromised skin grafts and flaps, suturing of severed limbs, and in preventing osteoradionecrosis Mainstream medicine HOT is also used in smoke inhalation, cyanide intoxication, acute carbon monoxide poisoning, extreme blood loss anemia, traumatic ischemia, as in compartment syndrome(s) and crush injury, to enhance healing of recalcitrant or necrotic wounds, as an adjunct therapy for clostridial myonecrosis–associated with acute tissue hypoxia, compromised skin grafts and flaps, chronic osteomyelitis, actinomycosis. and to prevent osteoradionecrosis Complications Barotrauma–air embolism, pneumothorax, tympanic membrane damage, O₂ toxicity–CNS, pulmonary, reversible visual changes, fire or explosion and claustrophobia