Portneuf Wound Care & Hyperbaric Clinic
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does it work?
Normally, the air we breathe is 21 percent oxygen. During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, you will breathe pure oxygen (100 Percent) and the pressure surrounding your body will be slowly increased to two or three times normal. The increased oxygen you breathe will also increase the oxygen your blood carries to body tissues. This abundance of oxygen in your tissues enhances the repair of tissue damage. It is a process that helps heal your wound from the inside out.
- What is Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment?
Initially used to treat underwater divers with the bends, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been proven effective in treating many diseases. It does not replace other reliable treatments such as surgery and medication, but is generally prescribed in conjunction with other treatments.
- Who can utilize Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments?
Accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy encompass a wide range of clinical conditions including:
- Diabetic Foot Wounds
- Compromised Skin Grafts or Flaps
- Osteomyelitis (Refractory)
- Air or Gas Embolism
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Crush Injury, Compartment Syndrome, and other Acute Traumatic Ischemias
- Cyanide Poisoning
- Decompression Sickness
- Enhancement of Healing Selected Problem Wounds
- Selected Refractory Anaerobic Infections
- Exceptional Blood Loss Anemia
- Gas Gangrene
- Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
- Radiation Necrosis: Osteoradionecrosis and Soft Tissue Radiation Necrosis
- Thermal Burns
- Are there any side effects or after effects?
The most common effect is a "fullness" or popping sensation in your ears which lasts only briefly. As with most medical treatments, there may also be other effects. Such other effects are rare, and a staff member will discusses them with you in detail before treatment.