Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Kingston Hospital offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) which is an essential part of some chronic wound treatment plans. HBO can activate the body’s ability to heal itself when wounds have not healed within a certain amount of time. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is most commonly used in the treatment of individuals with:
- Diabetes, who have wounds that are slow to heal
- Wounds that have not shown improvement in four weeks
- Bone infections and skin infections
- Radiation injuries
- Compromised or failing skin grafts or flaps
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
HBO is a medical treatment that increases the amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood, allowing oxygen to pass more easily through the plasma into the wounds to heal them. HBO chambers surround the patient with 100% oxygen at higher than normal atmospheric pressure. What to Expect During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Typically, a patient will receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy for approximately two hours, which includes the time to pressurize and depressurize the chamber plus 90 minutes at the prescribed treatment. During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, patients may choose to read a book or a newspaper or watch a personal television. A trained technician is always in the room during the hyperbaric oxygen treatment and a physician always closely supervises therapy. At any point during hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you can talk to the technician, even while in the chamber through the chamber’s microphone.
