A brief introduction to air-pressure oxygen chambers.

Most hospitals use pressurized oxygen chambers to perform... Hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Level 2 or other levels. An air-pressure oxygen chamber is a method of inhaling pure oxygen or high-concentration oxygen under hyperbaric conditions—i.e., at pressures exceeding atmospheric pressure—used to treat hypoxic diseases and related conditions. Generally, hyperbaric oxygen therapy in an air-pressure oxygen chamber can achieve excellent results for all hypoxic and ischemic diseases, as well as a range of disorders caused by hypoxia and ischemia, such as brain injury and post-stroke sequelae. Moreover, for certain infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders, hyperbaric oxygen therapy in an air-pressure oxygen chamber can also yield favorable outcomes.

What is the principle behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy? For instance, in cases of brain cell damage caused by traumatic brain injury, cerebral hemorrhage, encephalitis, or brain tumors—where the brain cells haven't died but have experienced a decline in function— Around 50%, which leads to various symptoms in patients, such as coma, hemiplegia, and aphasia. Currently, the oxygen supply to brain cells is limited. We cannot significantly increase blood flow to the brain cells, so we need to boost the oxygen content in the blood reaching those cells. For example, under normal conditions, 1 milliliter of blood contains 10 units of oxygen. Now, after using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to compress air and increase the oxygen pressure, the same 1 milliliter of blood can carry 20 units of oxygen. As a result, although a large volume of blood still flows into the brain tissue, it carries much more oxygen. Brain cells can absorb more oxygen and thus begin to repair themselves.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers certain advantages in terms of oxygen delivery. It has a wide range of clinical indications and can serve as an adjunctive treatment for various diseases; however, its therapeutic effects should not be underestimated. Hyperbaric oxygen should be used in combination with different medications and incorporated into comprehensive treatment strategies tailored to specific diseases.

Air-pressure oxygen chamber therapy also has certain side effects. 1. Oxygen toxicity occurs when the body is exposed to high concentrations of oxygen for an extended period, leading to systemic and enzymatic poisoning, the excessive production of oxygen free radicals, and subsequent damage to the body. 2. Barotrauma—including common middle ear barotrauma, sinus barotrauma, and pulmonary barotrauma—can occur. However, in general, as long as the air-pressure oxygen chamber is operated strictly according to the instructions and in compliance with established protocols, these conditions are extremely rare.