About HBOT Indications

hyperbaric oxygen therapy

The HBOT benefits and positive scientific evidence lent credibility to the employment of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy worldwide.²¹⁸

Unfortunately by the late 1970s, the tendency of unprofessional and often indiscriminate use of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment was recognized. For a variety of reasons some practitioners were searching to cure anything by Hyperbaric Chambers.

In order to prevent backlash from the strict scientific approach and protect patients from indiscriminate use, professional hyperbaric organizations had to establish guidelines for the employment of Hyperbaric Therapy.

As a result, the US based Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), formed in 1967, was the first to formulate the official definition and approved indications list for HBO treatment.

UHMS definition of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

"The patient breathes 100% oxygen intermittently while the pressure of the treatment chamber is increased to greater than one atmosphere absolute (atm abs). Current information indicates that pressurization should be at least 1.4 atm abs. This may occur in a single person chamber (monoplace) or multiplace chamber (may hold 2 or more people). Breathing 100% oxygen at 1 atm abs or exposing isolated parts of the body to 100% oxygen does not constitute HBO₂ therapy."

HBOT Indications approved by UHMS Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Committee

The list of medical conditions treated by HBOT internationally is much wider. In USA and Europe they are referred to as off-label indications. Often these are not reimbursed by insurance as being categorized as Investigational.

Investigational HBOT indications (often called Off-Label indications)

Autoimmunity Related Disorders

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
Scelodrema
Silicone induced disorders
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Rheumatoid Arthritis

Cardiac Disorders

Heart attack, Myocardial ischemia
Aid to cardiac surgery and rehabilitation

Endocrine Disorders

Diabetes

Gastrointestinal

Colitis
Crohns Disease
Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers

Hematology

Acute and Chronic Anemia

Neurological Disorders

Candidas and fungal infections
Hypoxic birth disorders
Parkinsons disease
Spinal Cord injury
AIDS
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Cerebral edema
Cerebral Palsy, epilepsy due to hypoxia
Chemical Poisoning (e.g. Pesticide)
Flesh eating bacteria
Headaches, Cluster
Lyme disease
Migraine
Multiple Sclerosis
Mycoplasma
Near drowning
Near hanging
Neurovascular compression
Peripheral nerve injury and neuropathies, demyelination
RSD
Spider bite
Stroke
TOS
Vegetative coma

Ophthalmology

Macular degeneration
Retintis Pigmentosa

Orthopedic Disorders

Bone Grafts
Fracture repair, delayed and non-union
Inflammatory arthritis
Osteoporosis
Post surgical instability
Sacroiliac Syndrome
Aid to prosthesis rehabilitative care

Otorhinolaryngology

Acute acoustic Trauma
Sudden deafness

Peripheral Vascular Disorders

Acute and Chronic arterial insufficiency
Delayed wounds, recurrent ulcers an infections

Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery

Post surgical soft tissue infections
Non- healing post surgery, reconstruction and cosmetic surgery
Pre and Post Surgery healing, reconstruction and cosmetic surgery

Traumatology

Closed head injury
Compartmental syndrome
Soft tissue musculoskeletal injuries

Contraindications to HBOT

Studies and clinical evidence of last decades have provided enough data confirming positive physiologic effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) in a number of health conditions. However like with most drugs, contraindications to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) do exist. There are absolute and relative contraindications to HBOT.¹²⁰

Absolute Contraindications

Untreated Pneumothorax
Some Selected medications

Relative Contraindications

Congenital Spherocytosis - a strong contraindication, HBOT should be considered only as a critical care measure
Asthma (medications to be administered to control the condition)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) / Bullous Emphysema
Claustrophobia, Seizures (medications controlling anxiety, insomnia, agitation, seizures , etc.. to be considered, e.i. benzodiazepines)
Ear or sinus surgery
Optic neuritis
Recent thoracic surgery
Upper Respiratory Infections
Pacemakers (their technical specifications should be revised prior the treatment to avoid deformation)

Hyperbaric Oxygen Side Effects

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is generally safe and well tolerated. Most side-effects are mild and reversible, although adverse events can occur in rare cases (reversible myopia, symptomatic otic barotraumas, pulmonary barotraumas or pulmonary oxygen toxicity, as well as seizures due to central nervous system oxygen toxicity).^236, ²³⁷
Here is the list:

Barotrauma (otic, sinus, pulmonary)
Claustrophobia
Oxygen induced seizures and other CNS effects
Pulmonary oxygen toxicity
Visual refractive changes

Oxygen Toxicity

Statistics show that breathing densely packed molecular oxygenwhich is precisely what you do when you undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapyis extremely safe. According to Philip James, medical director of the University of Dundees Wolfson Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Oxygen is the most researched drug on the face of the planet with no known side effects. But if this is true, why the fuss? Read more about oxygen toxicity...