Know What Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Is

 

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one method of treatment that is done by giving pure oxygen in a special room with high air pressure, to be inhaled by the patient. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is carried out in a special room that can increase air pressure by up to three times the normal atmospheric pressure. This increase in air pressure in the hyperbaric chamber causes the patient's lungs to absorb more oxygen than usual, so that it can help cure various diseases.

Know What Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Is

The principle of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is to help the body to repair damaged tissue by increasing oxygen flow to body tissues. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy will cause blood to absorb more oxygen due to an increase in oxygen pressure in the lungs that is manipulated by a hyperbaric chamber. With a higher oxygen concentration than normal, the body will be triggered to repair damaged tissue faster than usual. Your doctor will recommend the patient to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy for several times, depending on the indication.

Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be recommended for patients who experience conditions or diseases such as:

  • Decompression. Decompression is a condition that occurs when blood flow in the body is blocked, due to changes in air pressure. This pressure change can occur due to flight, diving, or other things that cause a drastic change in air pressure. Sudden changes in air pressure outside the body can cause air bubbles in the blood vessels or emboli Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can shrink bubbles in the blood vessels due to changes in pressure.
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur when a person eats carbon monoxide gas which causes the absorption of oxygen by disturbed blood. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can overcome this condition by removing carbon monoxide from the blood by giving high pressure pure oxygen.
  • Healing wounds that are difficult to recover. Under normal conditions, the wound can heal by itself. However, in certain conditions, the wound is difficult to heal and close again, for example chronic wounds in diabetics or decubitus ulcers. These conditions reduce the supply of oxygen to the tissue around the wound, while the tissue that acts to close the wound often requires a lot of oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help heal these wounds by providing oxygen with a higher concentration, so that oxygen demand in the wound tissue can be met.
  • Skin graft recovery. Skin grafts in patients who do not have circulatory disorders can blend well. However, if a patient who receives a skin graft suffers from circulatory disorders such as diabetes, the integration of skin grafts with the patient's skin can experience problems. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help unify skin grafts in patients with circulatory disorders, by maintaining oxygen supply to areas that get skin grafts, so recovery can take place properly.
  • Soft tissue infections that experience necrosis ( tissue death). Soft tissue infection is generally caused by bacteria. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help cure soft tissue infections by accelerating the death of bacteria, especially anaerobic bacteria that live in low oxygen conditions, through the supply of excess oxygen to tissues that are infected. Excess oxygen in the blood can also help tissues to regenerate and accelerate wound healing.

In addition to the above conditions, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also used in conditions of crush injuries and compartment syndrome, air embolism, organ injury due to radiation, recurrent osteomyelitis, burns, anemia, occlusion of the arteries, and sudden deafness. Discuss with the doctor about the benefits of using hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the conditions experienced, as well as the risks that can arise.

Warning for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Not all patients can undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Some conditions can cause a person to not be able to undergo oxygen therapy at all because it is feared that it will cause dangerous complications. The situation that causes a person to not be able to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy at all is pneumothorax. Patients who are taking certain medications, such as cisplatin, bleomycin, disulfiram, and doxorubicin, also cannot undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

In addition, there are several conditions that cause patients who wish to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy should get special treatment or supervision, including:

  • Phobias will be closed rooms (claustrofbia).
  • Asthma.
  • Fever.
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  • Abnormalities of red blood cells.
  • Disorders of the Eustachian tube, the channel that connects the ear to the nose.
  • Infection upper respiratory tract.
  • Seizures.

The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on pregnancy is not yet known, but it is permissible to do it in an emergency, such as carbon monoxide poisoning. p>

Preparation of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Before undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the patient first will be asked to stop using cosmetics or personal care products with flammable ingredients. These products generally use hydrocarbon materials as the main composition, which is at risk of burning due to reacting with oxygen. In addition, to avoid the risk of fire, officers will ask patients not to carry objects that can trigger a fire, such as a lighter or battery.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Procedures

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is carried out in a tube or hyperbaric chamber. There are two types of hyperbaric chambers, namely monoplace hyperbaric chamber and multiple hyperbaric chambers. Monoplace hyperbaric chamber can only accommodate one person at a time, while multiple hyperbaric chambers can accommodate more than one person. Some multiple hyperbaric chambers can even hold up to 20 people. The use and maintenance of hyperbaric chamber must be maintained very tightly.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is carried out without the need for hospitalization. First-time patients will be asked to change clothes with hospital-specific clothing. After that, the patient or several patients will enter the hyperbaric chamber. The patient will then be positioned as comfortably as possible during therapy, generally in a relaxed sitting position.

Once confirmed that there are no flammable objects or materials in the hyperbaric chamber, the officer will leave the patient in a hyperbaric room and start raising the hyperbaric chamber pressure. slowly until it reaches the required pressure. During the hyperbaric therapy procedure, the patient will feel an emphasis on the eardrum due to increased air pressure in the hyperbaric chamber. To relieve the feeling of pressure on the eardrum, the patient can evaporate or swallow saliva so that it can help equalize the air pressure inside the ear.

Therapy generally lasts for two hours, during which the officer will monitor the patient's condition through a monitor special. When finished, the officer will reduce the hyperbaric chamber pressure to normal again. After that, the patient will be asked to rest first before continuing his activities as usual. The patient will undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy several times according to the doctor's advice.

After Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Patients can feel tired and lethargic or hungry, age undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions. After resting for a while, this lethargy will disappear on its own and the patient can resume his activity.

Keep in mind that most conditions that can be treated through hyperbaric oxygen therapy require several therapies to maximize results. The number of replications of this therapy varies for each condition or disease. Carbon monoxide poisoning only requires 3 therapies, while other conditions or diseases may require more therapy, even up to 40 therapies.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be combined with other treatment methods to obtain maximum results. The doctor will plan a combination of hyperbaric oxygen therapy with drugs or other methods, so that the patient's recovery can be achieved optimally.

Risk of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Therapy Hyperbaric oxygen is a method that is quite safe and very rarely causes side effects or complications. But that does not mean hyperbaric oxygen therapy cannot cause certain side effects. Some side effects that can arise due to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, although very rare, are:

  • Feeling uncomfortable or painful during the hyperbaric oxygen therapy procedure.
  • Nearsightedness after undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
  • Seizures caused by oxygen buildup in the brain.
  • Injury to the ear.
  • Injury to the lungs.
  • Fire or explosion in a hyperbaric chamber, especially if the patient is using or carrying flammable materials or products.

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