Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy delivers oxygen at pressures above atmospheric pressure, usually in a sealed chamber. The increased pressure raises oxygen dissolved in blood and tissues.

Henry's law: A gas dissolves in a liquid in proportion to its partial pressure above the liquid. Higher chamber pressure increases the amount of oxygen that can dissolve directly in blood plasma.
Carbon monoxide poisoning: Illness caused by inhaling carbon monoxide, which impairs oxygen transport and cellular respiration. Hyperbaric oxygen is sometimes used to accelerate carbon monoxide elimination and address severe poisoning.
Normobaric oxygen therapy: Medical oxygen administered at approximately atmospheric pressure. It raises inspired oxygen concentration without the elevated pressure central to hyperbaric treatment.
Middle ear barotrauma: Pressure-related injury to the middle ear caused by unequal pressure across the eardrum. It is a common chamber complication when pressure equalization is difficult.
Oxygen toxicity: Organ injury caused by excessive exposure to oxygen, especially at elevated partial pressures. The same elevated oxygen pressures that aid treatment can damage lungs or the central nervous system.
Gas gangrene: A rapidly progressive, toxin-producing infection of tissue, usually caused by Clostridium perfringens. Adjunctive oxygen under pressure can inhibit anaerobic bacteria, but urgent surgery and antibiotics remain central.
Oxygen therapy: Medical administration of oxygen to prevent or treat inadequate oxygenation. Hyperbaric treatment is a pressure-based form of oxygen therapy.
Pulmonary barotrauma: Lung injury caused by pressure changes that expand trapped gas or rupture air spaces. It is a serious risk, especially when lung disease traps gas during decompression.
Decompression sickness: A disorder caused when dissolved gases form bubbles in tissues or blood after pressure decreases too quickly. Recompression and oxygen are used to reduce bubbles and improve oxygen delivery in affected tissues.
Osteoradionecrosis: Bone death caused by radiation injury, most often affecting the jaw after cancer treatment. Hyperbaric oxygen has been used to support healing in selected radiation-damaged tissues.

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