Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers clinical treatment inside a pressurized vessel containing prescribed barometric pressures of gases such as air or oxygen. Its immediate effects include reducing the size of gas emboli in the bloodstream and raising the partial pressures of the gases present in the body. It was initially used to treat decompression sickness, and it is also effective in certain cases of gas gangrene and carbon monoxide poisoning. The therapy carries risks, including barotrauma from the pressure change, and a fire hazard when pure oxygen is used.
Facts
Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account Connections
Treats
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat severe carbon monoxide poisoning.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the standard treatment for decompression sickness.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbaric_medicine, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbaric_medicine, lead section
Hyperbaric medicine is the branch of medicine in which clinical therapies are delivered in pressurized vessels containing prescribed barometric pressures of gases such as air or oxygen.
2. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section, hyperbaric oxygen paragraphQuote, History section, hyperbaric oxygen paragraph
Shortly after its discovery, there were reports of toxic effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the central nervous system and lungs, which delayed therapeutic applications until 1937, when Behnke and Shaw first used it in the treatment of decompression sickness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was hyperbaric oxygen therapy not used therapeutically for years after it was discovered?
Early reports of toxic effects on the nervous system and lungs delayed its therapeutic use until 1937.
Shortly after hyperbaric oxygen was discovered, reports of toxic effects on the central nervous system and lungs appeared, and those safety concerns delayed its therapeutic use until 1937.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
Choose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.