Hyperbarics

Hyperbaric medicine is a medical treatment that has been approved by the American Medical Association and the Food and Drug Administration.  This therapy is used to treat a variety of medical and surgical problems.  Generally, it is only one part of an overall treatment plan that may included other therapies, antibiotics and surgery.

The hyperbaric chamber

Hyperbaric Wound Care at Edmond Medical Center features two monoplace chambers that treat twos patient at a time and several treatment rooms.  The chamber is transparent which allows the patient to see out and even watch TV or a DVD on a television mounted on the wall outside of the unit.  Since treatments take approximately two hours, patients are encouraged to use the restroom prior to entering the chamber.

Hyperbaric Wound Care is located in Suite 103 on the first floor of the Edmond Regional Medical Office Building on the Edmond Medical Center campus.  Two physicians, a director, a hyperbaric chamber technician and a registered nurse oversee the unit.  An attendant is always with the patient while they are being treated in the chamber.

How does hyperbaric oxygen work?

Prescribed hyperbaric oxygen therapy is 100 percent oxygen delivered in a pressurized environment.  The air we normally breathe is 21 percent oxygen and 79 percent nitrogen.  In hyperbaric treatments, the pressure is typically increased 2.4 times greater than normal and may even be increased to six times greater, depending on the case.

Breathing pure oxygen under pressure causes a larger amount of oxygen to be dissolved in the blood and subsequently delivered to the rest of the body.  This also explains why placing a wounded area in an oxygen "tent" cannot be effective - the oxygen must be delivered to all parts of the body by the blood stream.

Oxygen delivered under pressure actually dissolves in your blood stream and is carried in a solution like the fizz in a capped soda bottle.  While small blockages may prevent the red cells from delivering oxygen to damaged tissues, oxygen dissolved in the "stream" of your tissue can reach those damaged areas and help fuel the healing process.  The results is hyperbaric oxygen promotes healing and decreases infection.

Treatment goals

Hyperbaric treatment outcomes range from complete resolution to no change and everything in between.  In approximately 90 percent of cases, significant improvement or complete resolution is seen.  If no improvement is seen within the first 15 to 20 treatments, the likelihood of success is greatly diminished.

After 20 to 30 treatments where there is a good response, hyperbarics may be discontinued with full expectations the wound healing started by hyperbarics will continue due to the generation of new blood vessels.

Transportation and timing

Patients need to make their own arrangements for transportation.  Parking is available in the Edmond Regional Medical Building parking lot.  Hyperbaric Wound Care is located on the first floor of the building.

Treatment preparation

Preparation for hyperbaric therapy involves serveral concepts:         

1. You should not use any tobacco products while receiving  hyperbaric oxygen therapy.  Smoking is prohibited since it prevents full oxygen transport by the blood due to the decrease in blood vessel size.

2. Ensure the hyperbaric physician is aware of all the medications you are taking or if any have been changed.

3. If you become ill (cold, sinus, congestion, diarrhea, nausea, difficulty breathing, chest pains, low blood sugar, etc.) during your weeks of hyperbaric oxygen treatment and have to cancel a treatment, please contact us as soon as possible.

4. If diabetic, check your blood sugar prior to eating your first meal of the day so you will be able to tell the staff when asked.  We strongly recommend you eat well before arriving for treatment.  Hyperbaric oxygen can increase the effect of insulin on lowering your blood sugar.  Maintain your blood sugar in the high normal range.

What happens during treatment?

Hyperbaric treatments are painless.  At the beginning and end of your treatment, you may feel a mild pressure in your ears while the chamber is being pressurized.  Our staff will work closely with you on how to equalize the pressure in ears in the most effective manner.  The sensation is the same as going up or down a mountain or when flying in an airplane.

Our gowns are 100 percent cotton and are the only gowns or scrub suits allowed in the chamber.

Wound Care

Hyperbaric Wound Care at Edmond Medical Center provides therapeutic treatment for patients with acute and chronic wounds through an interdisciplinary approach, which includes cardiology, podiatry, orthopedics and internal medicine.  Our patients can expect to see a physician and wound care nurse at every visit.

Upon referral to Hyperbaric Wound Care at Edmond Medical Center, patients can expect to undergo a diagnostic assessment by a team of medical professionals who have advanced training in wound care. The assessment may include a medical history and physical, a vascular assessment, a neuropathic risk assessment and nutritional screening. Additional diagnostic tests may be ordered.

Hyperbaric Wound Care at Edmond Medical Center will also provide nutritional guidance and patient education to help promote the healing process. The program emphasizes education to help the patient and family learn about the underlying causes of chronic wounds and how to prevent their recurrence. If needed, adjunctive therapies, rehabilitation and home health services may be arranged.

Difficult-to-heal wounds can result from traumatic injury, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, complications following surgery, rheumatoid arthritis, congestive heart failure, arterial or venous ulcers, lymphedema and many other conditions which compromise circulation.

Wound care is complex by nature. Our program is designed to provide care on a highly individualized basis, so we constantly evaluate and readjust our approach as necessary to achieve results. We first establish a foundation of good basic wound care and we aggressively encourage healing by using the most advanced technologies available.  These technologies may include grafts, advanced medications, revascularization, surgical intervention, WoundVAC and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.