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Hyperbaric Medicine

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Heals Wounds and More

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Patients throughout Southern Colorado with diverse conditions are discovering the healing benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Our Hyperbaric Medicine department offers this proven therapy to heal wounds, preserve damaged tissues, treat carbon monoxide poisoning, and more.

We’re a Center of Excellence and Accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS). Plus, we’re the only hyperbaric medicine service available in Southern Colorado.

As a UHMS-accredited facility, all of our treatment protocols are evidence-based. This means that there is substantial, documented research on the beneficial effects of this therapy for each medical condition we treat.

 

How Does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Work?

The medical profession has known for some time that providing 100% oxygen by face mask has certain benefits. Keep in mind that the air we breathe contains 21% oxygen. By providing 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber, patients receive 2 to 3 times more oxygen than by inhaling oxygen through a mask. This hyperbaric (high pressure) dose of oxygen greatly increases the amount of oxygen the bloodstream can deliver to body tissues—and this offers distinct therapeutic benefits. To receive this therapy, patients lie down in a pressurized chamber, which is then compressed to a specific level, using pure oxygen.

We use hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat the following common and well-known conditions:

  • Heal wounds and preserve damaged tissues—Some wounds are resistant to healing because they’re hypoxic (they don’t receive enough oxygen). Therefore, delivering increased oxygen to injured tissues can help control infections. Examples include chronic bone infection and diabetic wounds of the lower extremities.
  • Treat carbon monoxide poisoning—Hyperbaric oxygen therapy eliminates toxic substances (such as carbon monoxide) in the blood and reduces the effects of those toxic substances.
  • Treat delayed radiation injuries—Some patients of radiation treatments (for example, for prostate cancer) may have bladder or colon problems because these organs are located in the radiated field. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps resolve these bladder and colon problems.

Doctors refer patients to us for hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the following conditions:

  • Acute carbon monoxide poisoning (smoke inhalation, cyanide poisoning)
  • Cerebral arterial gas embolism (decompression or iatrogenically induced)
  • Clostridial myonecrosis (gas gangrene)
  • Decompression sickness
  • Osteoradionecrosis (mandible)
  • Adjunctive therapy
  • Crush injury, compartment syndrome (other acute ischemias)
  • Enhance healing (hypoxic and diabetic wounds)
  • Exceptional blood loss anemia (patient refusal of blood, cross matching difficulties)
  • Necrotizing soft tissue infections (subcutaneous tissue, muscle, fascia)
  • Radiation tissue injury (bone and soft tissue complications)
  • Chronic osteomyelitis (refractory to bone cultured antibiotics and surgical debridements)
  • Thermal burns (acute management, wound healing support)

Case studies demonstrating the broad range of benefits for hyperbaric oxygen therapy:

Quick Facts About Memorial’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Service:

  • How long do treatments last?—Depending on the condition, patients may need between 20 to 40 treatments, usually every day for several weeks. The exposure (time in the pressurized chamber) usually lasts about two hours.
  • You’ll be treated by our highly specialized staff, certified in hyperbaric oxygen therapy—The physicians in the Hyperbaric Medicine department are specially trained and have passed the hyperbaric medicine board exam. Our certified hyperbaric medicine nurses have undergone hundreds of hours of specialized practice and have passed the certification exam. All staff members have fulfilled primary training on hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
  • Most treatments are on an outpatient basis—We’re located at Memorial Hospital Central, and we work with patients on an inpatient and outpatient basis, by physician referral. Clinic hours are 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. We’re on call for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 15 conditions we treat are recognized by Medicare and most commercial insurance providers. Because the number of treatments can vary widely, we work with insurance companies to preauthorize treatments.

Can Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Help You?

Talk to your doctor about whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy can help you. Or call us at (719) 365-5920; we’re happy to answer your questions. We’ll clearly explain what we can and cannot treat, and we can provide brochures to help educate you about this exciting therapy.