What exactly is a hyperbaric oxygen chamber?

Most hospitals at or above Level II use hyperbaric chambers for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This is a treatment method in which pure oxygen or high-concentration oxygen is inhaled under high pressure—greater than atmospheric pressure—primarily to treat hypoxic diseases and related conditions. In general, hyperbaric chamber therapy can achieve excellent results for all conditions characterized by hypoxia, ischemia, or a range of disorders caused by both hypoxia and ischemia, such as traumatic brain injury and post-stroke sequelae. Moreover, hyperbaric chamber therapy can also yield favorable outcomes for certain infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders.

What is the principle behind hyperbaric oxygen therapy? For example, in cases of brain cell damage caused by traumatic brain injury, cerebral hemorrhage, encephalitis, brain tumors, and the like, the brain cells haven't died yet, but their function has been reduced by approximately... 50%, leading to various symptoms in patients, such as coma, hemiplegia, and aphasia. Currently, the oxygen supply to brain cells is limited by the blood flow reaching them. Since we cannot significantly increase the blood flow into the brain, we must boost the oxygen content within the brain cells themselves. For example, under normal conditions, 1 milliliter of blood contains 10 units of oxygen; however, after being exposed to high-pressure oxygen in a hyperbaric chamber, the same 1 milliliter of blood can carry up to 20 units of oxygen. In this way, although the volume of blood flowing into the brain tissue remains substantial, it now carries much more oxygen. As brain cells absorb greater amounts of oxygen, they can begin to restore their normal functions.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers certain advantages in terms of oxygen supply. It has a wide range of clinical indications and can be used as an adjunctive treatment for many diseases; however, its effects should not be overstated. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be combined with various medications and employed as part of a comprehensive treatment regimen tailored to the specific disease.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy also has certain side effects. 1. Oxygen toxicity is caused by inhaling oxygen at too high a concentration for an extended period. This can lead to poisoning of the central nervous system and metabolic enzymes, resulting in the production of large amounts of oxygen free radicals, which in turn damage organs. 2. Barotrauma—common types include middle ear barotrauma, paranasal sinus barotrauma, and pulmonary barotrauma. However, generally speaking, as long as the instructions are strictly followed and the hyperbaric chamber is operated according to established protocols, these conditions are very rare.