Respiratory Therapy

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• QWhat conditions can benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  Originally this treatment was used to help divers who developed decompression sickness, commonly called "the bends", when they came to the surface too quickly. The treatment is still used for the bends, but is also used to treat many other diseases, including:

  • Wounds. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides diabetic ulcers, radiation injury, damaged soft tissues and chronic non-healing wounds with extra oxygen to support the growth of new blood vessels that can replace those which may have been damaged.
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning. For individuals suffering from smoke inhalation, hyperbaric oxygen forces the toxic gasses out of the blood stream and provides extra amounts of oxygen to help damaged tissues recover more rapidly.
  • Infections. Hyperbaric oxygen augments the body's ability to kill bacteria in wounds such as gas gangrene or bone infections.

  Other conditions. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be provided in conjunction with other treatments. Depending on the specific problem, treatment may be provided in conjunction with recommendations by our physicians or those prescribed by other NewYork-Presbyterian physicians. This collaboration provides you with the most advanced and effective treatment options available.

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• QWho is a candidate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A Dr. Edgar L. Rhodes, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered on behalf of Redmond Regional Medical Center

  People who are eligible for hyperbaric oxygen fall into some fairly strict guidelines. Two common indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy are wounds that fail to heal and diabetic foot ulcers. Those people are definitely candidates for the hyperbaric chamber and treatment with hyperbaric oxygen.
  
  Other frequently encountered problems are crush injuries, such as injuries that might be associated with acute trauma, acute arterial insufficiency or radionecrosis of the mandible; these are all indications for hyperbaric medicine.

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• QHow will I feel during hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  The treatment is generally painless. Patients sit comfortably or recline during the treatment, while resting or watching television. You will experience a sense of fullness in the ears at the beginning and end of treatment as the pressure is adjusted. The sensation is similar to that which is felt when flying in an airplane or diving under water.
  You will be taught a simple maneuver to avoid ear discomfort. Some patients will hear a crackling noise in their ears between treatments, which is relieved using the same pressure maneuvers. If the crackling continues it should be reported to the staff.
  Some patients feel light-headed for a few moments following the treatment, but this is generally very brief.

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• QWhat is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy allows you will breathe 100Percent pure oxygen under increased pressure. This level is much higher than the 21Percent oxygen found in room air. The air inside the hyperbaric chamber can be compressed up to three times the pressure found at sea level. This pressure is similar to that which is felt when diving underwater down to 66 feet. The combination of high pressure and pure oxygen drives the life-giving oxygen into the bloodstream at a very high concentration so that it can spread deep into the body tissues to help fight many types of illness.

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• QWhy doesn't supplemental oxygen prevent me from getting short of breath?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  When you have chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD), low oxygen levels are actually caused by the failure of blood vessels in your lungs to connect with the air sacs that contain oxygen. Your lungs may still be able to support that connection, but you may be short of breath due to other factors, such as hyperinflation, retained carbon dioxide and a flattened diaphragm, increasing your work of breathing. 
• QWill Medicare pay for the cost of electricity my oxygen equipment uses?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  Medicare will not pay for any utility bills as a result of the use of your oxygen equipment if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and require supplemental oxygen. In some cases, the direct costs of operating your oxygen equipment are deductible as a medical expense. Some utilities have programs to help lessen this cost. Check with your electricity provider. The COPD Foundation Disaster Preparedness Plan also includes these forms. 
• QWhat results can I expect with hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A Ocala Health answered

  

  Patients can typically expect positive outcomes with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In this video, Cameron Baldwin, CHT of Ocala Regional Medical Center explains the steps a patient must take to ensure the best results.

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• QHow does hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HbOT) work?

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  A Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered

  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HbOT) entails reclining within a pressurized chamber with varying degrees of increasing atmospheric pressure. It is believed that as the oxygen level increases throughout the body, circulation is enhanced, inflammation is reduced, and white blood cells are stimulated to remove toxins. This pure oxygen is also said to destroy harmful bacteria. HbOT is not new. It has long been used to treat deep-sea divers with decompression sickness or "the bends."

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• QDo I have a say on what brand of equipment I receive for oxygen therapy?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  Some brands of concentrators run quieter, produce less heat or use less electricity than others. This is important to know if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and your doctor has prescribed oxygen therapy. Oxygen concentrators can be very expensive to run and the cost of electricity is not covered under Medicare reimbursement. Your oxygen supplier may have a purchase agreement with a certain company in order to get lower pricing. That does not mean you have to accept that particular equipment. This is when it pays to do your homework. Ask other oxygen users about their equipment. Ask about reliability, noise level, cost of running it and if it produces a lot of heat. However, they are also not obligated to go out and buy a brand of equipment that you request. Your choice is still dependent on the oxygen suppliers current inventory.
• QWhat types of wounds can and can't be treated with hyperbaric oxygen?

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  A Dr. Brian N. Evans, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered on behalf of West Hills Hospital & Medical Center

  

  Patients with low blood flow benefit from hyperbaric oxygen; infected or unclean wounds cannot be treated with hyperbaric oxygen, says Brian Evans, MD, from West Hills Hospital & Medical Center. Learn more in this video.