Maintaining a Good Quality of Veterinary Hyperbaric Chamber

A veterinary hyperbaric oxygen chamber is a treatment in which a pet is placed in a hyperbaric oxygen cabin. The pure oxygen dissolves in the tissue and in the fluids, and the oxygen content of the tissue increases. The oxygen the pet inhales dissolves into plasma and increases the oxygen content of the tissue.

In addition to increasing the oxygen partial pressure in the tissue in diseased areas, it promotes wound healing. Vasoconstriction caused by hyperoxia, reduction of blood lipid levels, restoration of endothelial integrity and reduction of edema formation are achieved by adequate oxygenation of the tissue.

The amount of oxygen reaching superficial tissues can be quantified by transcutaneous measurements in humans making it a useful non-invasive tool for estimating its likely response to HBOT treatment. Tissue that is unhealthy due to poor oxygen voltage is therefore expected to heal better with additional HBOT (Niinikoski, 2004). The diffusion of oxygen into tissues is affected by edema, scar tissue and vascular damage, and HBOT is an effective way to deliver oxygen to target tissues when it overcomes these problems.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) uses the oxygen pressure generated in a specialized chamber that can withstand high internal pressure. HBOT is a treatment in which the patient inhales 100% oxygen in a pressure chamber.

When a patient inhales 100% oxygen, the pressure in a so-called special chamber built to withstand high internal pressure increases by more than one pressure atmosphere. The increased pressure in the environment, including pressure of the inhaled gas, causes the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the blood to increase. Under pressure, dissolved gas shrinks and blows in a solution, reducing the diffusion distance.

Over the last 40 years, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been recommended for use in a wide range of conditions with adequate scientific validation of efficacy and safety. However, there has been a high level of medical scepticism about their use. In recent decades, the field of veterinary trauma and wound care has become a reflection of human care.

After Florida's fire department investigated the cause of an explosion in an oxygen chamber that killed a horse and a woman and injured another, equine veterinarians founded the Hyberbaric Oxygen Therapy Focus Veterinary Society which says practitioners should aim to minimize risks associated with the technology. Individuals influenced by prominent athletes including the former National Football League star Terrell Owens, who used breathing under pressure with oxygen as a way to recover from injuries, have bought portable hyperbaric chambers made of low-pressure tissue, also known as pouch chambers, for home use. The chambers cost between $7,000 and more than $17,000 and are set up and commissioned within hours of delivery.

In veterinary hyperbaric oxygen therapy, patients are placed in a large chamber of 100% oxygen pressure, 1.5 to 3 times the normal air pressure. Two veterinary oxygen chambers allow the treatment of a maximum of 11 patients. In a hyperbaric chamber, a professional nurse or doctor provides continuous assistance to the patient.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) inhales 100 percent oxygen in an environment where air pressure is three times higher than in a normal multi-person or one-person chamber. Hyperbaric chambers are classified by the FDA as class II medical devices by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means that the manufacturer must prove to the FDA that such devices are at least as safe and effective as earlier devices on the market and that they can be sold for medical treatment purposes.

The high partial pressure achieved by hyperbaric oxygen stimulates the growth of new vessels and the healing of damaged or irradiated tissue without losing the ability to restore cell proliferation. In the United States, problem wounds are the most common indication for studies of supplementary hyperbaric oxygen therapy, including diabetic and other small vessel ischemic foot ulcers. As long as the general pressure does not exceed 300 kPa and the treatment duration is less than 120 minutes, the hyperbaric oxygen therapy is safe.

These conditions lead to swelling (ing), edema and vascular blockage, which increases the distance in which oxygen flows through the tissue. 100 percent oxygen at this pressure allows the plasma to carry more oxygen, reducing the importance of hemoglobin-based supply.1 100% of dissolved oxygen in the plasma is released to the capillaries and tissues three times faster than when hemoglobin is transported.19 Increasing the barometric pressure from 10 atA to 20 to 25 atA increases the dissolved oxygen in the plasma by three times compared to the breathing air of a patient.

Oxygen deficiency during surgery, injuries, circulatory disorders and other causes can impede healing and impair function. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was used to stimulate healing after surgery, spinal cord and brain injuries and to treat, among others, wounds, infections, burns, pancreatitis, snake and spider bites.

Oxygen therapy can be a life-saving and indispensable treatment in many circumstances. Hyperbaric oxygen should be used as a supplement to treat chronic oxygen deficiency and local oxygen tension problems that may not be optimal for healing. The use of HBOT in wound care is helpful for general healing in many ways but also in situations where healing is impaired, such as severe swelling, infection, crushing injuries, radiation scarring and hypoxic tissue.

The advantages and disadvantages of the various options should be assessed and presented to customers taking into account their preferences, including financial considerations. It is also important to find the right pet oxygen chamber technician. Remember, do not try to operate an oxygen chamber without appropriate knowledge.

St. Francis received its 1,200-pound chamber last December after a five-year agreement with Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine of Boca Raton. The company says it is the only current manufacturer of hyperbaric chambers for small animals in the United States.