MiddletownJournal.com

Following are common questions and answers about hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is offered at The Center for Wound Healing at Fort Hamilton Hospital.

Q: What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

A: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT, is a medical treatment in which a patient breathes 100 percent oxygen while under pressure in a chamber.

Q: What is the purpose of breathing oxygen under pressure?

A: Breathing 100 percent oxygen under pressure allows more oxygen to be dissolved in the patient's blood. This increased level of oxygen is then distributed throughout the entire body.

Q: Who requires extra oxygen?

A: There is no benefit to increasing the level of oxygen in the body for a normal, healthy individual. However, there are certain medical conditions that benefit from increased levels of oxygen, including:

• A diabetic with a wound that is slow to heal or is not healing.

• Anyone with a wound that has shown no improvement in four weeks.

• Certain infections of the bone and skin.

• Someone with damaged tissue from radiation therapy.

• Someone with a skin graft that has a questionable blood supply.

• Someone who has suffered a brown recluse spider bite.

Q: How long do HBOT treatments last?

A: An average treatment lasts approximately two hours. This includes the time to compress and decompress the chamber, coupled with the 90 minutes at the prescribed treatment depth.

Q: How many HBOT treatments does a patient require?

A: There is no magical number of HBOT treatments because each person responds slightly differently. However, it is possible to estimate treatments. The average number of treatments required to heal a patient with a problem wound is between 20 and 40.

Q: Are there any bathroom facilities

A: No, however, it is possible to take a bedpan or urinal in the chamber. The staff will decompress the chamber anytime a patient needs to finish treatment early.

Q: Do patients suffer from claustrophobia?

A: Most hyperbaric patients do not suffer from claustrophobia. This could be due to either the large size of the chamber or the fact it is made out of a clear plastic. From inside the chamber, it is possible to see out in all directions. There is always an attendant in the room during treatment. For those patients still feeling anxious about their treatment, the hyperbaric physician can prescribe medication to relax a patient to make treatment less stressful.

Q: How can a patient communicate with the outside attendant?

A: The chamber is equipped with two-way communication, and patients may talk to the outside attendant at any time.

Q: How do I get an appointment with the HBOT department?

A: Talk to your primary physician, who can refer patients to the department for an evaluation by the hyperbaric physician, or visit or call the wound center and request an evaluation.

For more information about HBOT, call The Center for Wound Healing at (513) 867-2057.