Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment consists of sessions in a recompression chamber, such as are used for divers who get decompression sickness ("the bends"). The chamber has the pressure raised above atmospheric, and 100% oxygen is breathed in. Exhalation gases are discharged from the chamber by wearing a mask or hood.

It has been used for treatment of difficult to heal wounds, bone infections, some types of anaemia, burns, frostbite and Raynauds Disease.

For radiotherapy injuries, soft tissue injuries, lymphoedema, for which HBO can reduce swelling permanently, also for other internal radiation damage and bone damage from radiation. Typically, 40 sessions of about 90 minutes are given. This will be 5 days a week until the 40 sessions are completed. Patients are monitored closely throughout the therapy. It does not have proven efficacy as yet in radiotherapy injuries as more double -blind trials are needed.

One such was a multi-national centre double-blind crossover trial involving 150 patients published in Science Direct
Int J Rad Onc Bio, Vol 1, No 1, pp 134-143 2008. (This is an abstract only, but the basic conclusion is included)

Back