Patients battling a chronic or non-healing wound often see positive results following hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Wounds resistant to other types of treatments are not a disease in and of themselves, but rather the result of one or more underlying conditions which often require specialized care to proceed through an orderly and timely set of healing stages.
The Wound Center at Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) offers two hyperbaric oxygen chambers which deliver 100% pure oxygen to patients in a pressurized chamber. Non-healing wounds are particularly prevalent among the estimated 25.8 million Americans affected by diabetes, a disease affecting many who live in Eastern Kentucky. Of those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, 15 to 25 percent are at risk for developing foot ulcers.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is an advanced way of healing these types of wounds but can also be beneficial in treating carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression illness, radiation necroses and open bone fractures. During HBOT, patients experience pressure equivalent to that experienced when diving 40 to 65 feet underwater.
HBOT is usually scheduled in consecutive sessions over many weeks and offers several patient benefits. It enhances the delivery of oxygen to tissues, which promotes the healing of wounds and helps fight infection. Increased oxygen levels also stimulate the production of collagen, a key component in tissue repair and regeneration. HBOT can also improve the effectiveness of certain antibiotics and enhance the body’s natural defense mechanisms by increasing the amount of oxygen blood can carry.
For more information about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at PMC visit: https://www.pikevillehospital.org/services/wound-center/#1520875300093-2-1
