Hyperbaric
Medicine
General
Information
We
breathe hundreds of times a day, never giving much thought
to the oxygen that sustains -- and even heals -- us.
But the connection between our respiratory and circulatory
systems is a complex, fascinating mechanism.
As
blood flows through our lungs, a substance known as
hemoglobin works like a fleet of tiny ships collecting
oxygen and transporting it through the body. In healthy
people, the system manages to deliver adequate amounts
of oxygen. However, when we are sick or injured, demand
for oxygen can increase in affected areas of the body.
Sometimes demand exceeds the ability of the system to
meet that need. That is when hyperbaric therapy -- or
the administration of oxygen in a pressurized environment
-- is beneficial. When oxygen is administered in a pressurized
environment like a hyperbaric chamber, other substances
in the blood also begin to function like tiny ships.
This essentially supersaturate, the blood with oxygen,
delivering increased doses of oxygen to areas of need.
It
is a remarkable process and one that is used at Physicians
Medical Center Carraway to treat certain conditions
like carbon monoxide poisoning, brown recluse spider
bites, and severe bone and anaerobic infections. It
is also used to raise oxygen levels in problem wounds
in order to promote healing.
Treatments
are offered in a large, computer controlled chamber
that can hold as many as 18 people. Patients in this
chamber breathe pure oxygen through a hood or mask.
A single person -- or monoplace -- chamber is also available
for certain cases and educational purposes.
Once
considered a controversial and exotic therapy, hyperbaric
medicine is now a recognized specialty bolstered by
a rapidly increasing body of scientific research. The
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and Baromedical
Nurses Association are at the forefront of efforts
to educate both the public and health care professionals
about this exciting field. Carraway staff members are
active in both of these organizations and also conduct
a course for physicians, nurses, technologists and other
health care professionals on hyperbaric medicine.
The
department is under medical direction of physicians
trained in hyperbaric medicine and operations. It is
staffed with critical care nurses and highly skilled
hyperbaric technologists. As part of the trauma center
at Carraway Methodist Medical Center, the hyperbaric
unit is available for emergencies around-the-clock.
Normal business hours are 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (CST),
Monday - Friday.
General
Information | Technical
Information | Treatment
Back
to Wound Care Services | Back
to Residency Programs
|
