Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The tissue physiology and our blood are the limiting factor for oxygenation at normal pressure (i.e. at 1 ATA). At sea level, haemoglobin carries 97 percent of the oxygen, whereas 3 percent is dissolved in the blood plasma. All physiological fluids, including blood, plasma, lymphatic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and interstitial fluid, dissolve more readily at greater pressures.
This extra dissolved oxygen in plasma at greater pressure is enough to meet tissue needs without consuming oxygen linked to haemoglobin, and is responsible for the majority of the therapy's positive benefits.
Do You Know?
- At sea level, 1 atmospheric absolute equals 14.7 pounds / square inch of pressure. In typical circumstances, we breathe around 20% oxygen and 80% nitrogen.
Why is Hyperbaric Oxygen Beneficial?
- It stimulates new blood vessels growth
- Arrest certain type of infections and diseases by increasing the oxygenation
- It improves wound healing
- Reduces the gas bubble size so that it can be reabsorbed
What Hyperbaric Oxygen Does?
- It reduces edema and swelling
- Improves the efficiency of leukocytes (WBC) which kills bacteria more effectively
- Enhances the performance of the antibiotics
- Fibroblast angiogenesis and proliferation
- Enhances the proliferation of endothelial cells, thereby reducing the scarring and resolving the bruising
- Collagen synthesis and cross-linking
- Improves immune system of the body
- Reduction in pain and pain cycles due to healing of the nerve endings
Medical Conditions Where it is Showing Benefits
- COVID and Post COVID recovery
- In mycosis (fungal infections)
- Non-healing diabetic wounds
- Recovery after radiation
- Poisoning due to carbon monoxide
- Cyanide poisoning
- Crush injuries
- Gas gangrene
- Decompression sickness
- Arteries not receiving proper blood flow
- Skin flaps and grafts (compromised)
- Osteomyelitis
- Radiation injury (late/delayed)
- Necrotizing soft tissue infection
- Air embolism
- Chronic infection (actinomycosis)
Mechanisms for HBO Treatment
Oxygenation of ischemic, hypoxic tissue: HBO boosts plasma and tissue oxygen tensions by a factor of ten, allowing tissues to sustain viability in the absence of RBCs.
Neutrophil Oxidative killing: By producing oxygen-dependent superoxides and peroxides, neutrophils restore their ability to destroy germs.
Suppression of multiplication in bacteria: Streptococcus and anaerobes are inhibited by high oxygen pressures.
Augmentation of antibiotic effectiveness: Increased oxygen tension allows oxygen dependent active transport to bring in antibiotics across bacterial cell walls.
Enhanced fibroblast function: Prevents unnecessary cicatrix formation.
Angiogenesis: Increased oxygen tension improves the function of vascular endothelial growth factor and the secretion of fibroblast matrix.