Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy is a treatment in which the patient breaths 100% oxygen while being enclosed in a pressurized chamber at greater than normal atmospheric pressure. This may be accomplished with a monoplace chamber--one completely pressurized with 100% oxygen--or a multiplace chamber, pressurized with air, which accommodates up to eight patients breathing 100% oxygen through a hood, mask or endotracheal tube.
While breathing pure oxygen, the patient's blood plasma becomes saturated, carrying 20 to 30 times the normal amount of oxygen to the body's tissue, and the ultimate result is the body's natural wound-healing mechanisms, which are oxygen dependent, are able to function more efficiently. In addition, the hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces gas bubbles which are a crucial component in the treatment of arterial gas embolisms. It also reduces blood flow by 20% while the body's tissue continues to be hyperoxygenated, thereby decreasing the loss of plasma and reducing edema. This is extremely useful in the treatment of crush injuries, compartmental syndrom and cerebral edema. Continued use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the body's immune and healing response, and promotes a bactericidal effect, halting the growth of anaerobic organisms.