We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Hyperbaric Oxygen Aids Chronic Wound Management

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 04 May 2015
Print article
Image: A hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber (Photo courtesy of Oxford Hyperbaric Medical Center).
Image: A hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber (Photo courtesy of Oxford Hyperbaric Medical Center).
A new study suggests that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), as a means of treating a variety of wound types, may become an increasingly appropriate option for treatment.

A review of current evidence by researchers at the University of Exeter (United Kingdom) finds that using HBOT to treat tissue damage has been employed for almost 45 years. The results of the large number of prospective, retrospective, and randomized control trials show that using HBOT adjunctively with standard wound care improves healing, in particular for diabetic foot ulcers, and can result in a significant reduction in major amputations. Side effects of HBOT occur infrequently, but myopia, ear barotraumas, and (rarely) oxygen toxicity have been reported.

The physiological effects of HBOT treatment on wound tissue are profound and include the activation of immune cells, changes in cytokine production, and modulation of inflammatory and bactericidal mediators. HBOT also influences the biochemistry of whole cells, altering cell proliferation, angiogenesis, clotting, and tissue regeneration. The researchers clarified that the precise effects of HBOT on individual cell types and tissues are only beginning to be revealed in both animal and human studies. The study was published on April 24, 2015, in Chronic Wound Care Management and Research.

“As antibiotics become less available, and clinician time and complex dressings become more expensive, the use of HBOT as a means of treating a variety of wound types may become an increasingly appropriate option for treatment,” concluded lead author Prof. Paul Eggleton, PhD, and colleagues of the Institute of Biomedical & Clinical Science.

HBOT involves 100% pure oxygen delivered to a patient in an enclosed chamber at atmospheric pressure three times higher than normal air pressure. At those pressures, the body is able to incorporate more oxygen into blood cells, blood plasma, and cerebral-spinal and other bodily fluids; the increased oxygen absorption significantly enhances the body’s ability to aid in its own healing. In 1937 hyperbaric oxygen treatments were first used for decompression sickness, but it was not until 1956 that HBOT was used as a therapeutic aid in cardiopulmonary surgery.


Related Links:
University of Exeter


Gold Member
POC Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile Prime Plus
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
Endoscope Tracking Software
T-DOC Endo

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The permeable wearable electronics developed for long-term biosignal monitoring (Photo courtesy of CityUHK)

Super Permeable Wearable Electronics Enable Long-Term Biosignal Monitoring

Wearable electronics have become integral to enhancing health and fitness by offering continuous tracking of physiological signals over extended periods. This monitoring is crucial for understanding an... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.