News Blog Receive E-Mail Updates Back Issues Register A Chamber Search Chamber Classifieds HBO Calendar FAQ's Resource Guide Calendar of Events
Our Readership:
The Hyperbaric Medicine Today magazine is an international publication with more than 2000 readers in over 60 countries. Our readers are scientists, physicians, nurses, technicians, and respiratory therapists working in the field of wound care, diving, and/or hyperbaric medicine. We report on breaking news from around the world while keeping up to date on events within the International Hyperbaric Medical Association (IHMA), the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine (ACHM), the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS), the European Underwater and Baromedical Society (EUBS), Divers alert Network (DAN), and other affiliated professional organizations.
Mission:
The primary mission of Hyperbaric Medicine Today is to be a fair, objective, nonpartisan, international publication dedicated to reporting and commenting on the current state of knowledge and advances in the science and technology encompassing hyperbaric oxygen therapy, wound care, and diving medicine. We report on currently accepted and emerging clinical applications as well as the associated economic, social, and political issues and events that influence the administration, growth and development of hyperbarics. We will report on hyperbaric events irrespective of any social, political, or economic pressures that may be applied by concerned individuals, advertisers, or organizations.
Objective:
It is our deepest desire to secure the medical mainstream acceptance of hyperbaric therapy. To help achieve this objective, Hyperbaric Medicine Today has enhanced its publication capabilities by offering a website that serves as a resource for physicians, allied health professionals, technologist, and the general public. Our website was designed for anyone that is interested in the field of hyperbarics. Our Blog and e-mail news letters shall serve as a means for rapid dissemination of information, discussion of issues, and answers to question from our readers.
Purpose:
The purpose of Hyperbaric Medicine Today is to report on and provide general and scientific information relative to the safe and effective administration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as it relates to wound care, and diving medicine.
Each issue contains important information about current events, hyperbaric center openings, legislative news, upcoming hyperbaric, wound care, or diving medicine courses and other news. Each issue also contains news on the various aspects and uses of hyperbaric oxygen, hyperbaric chambers, hyperbaric treatment protocols, etc.. Wound care issues are the most commonly treated condition; surgical wounds, chronic non healing wounds, skin grafts and flaps, exceptional blood loss anemia, necrotizing soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, osteoradionecrosis (ORN), radiation tissue damage, thermal burns, gas gangrene, crush injuries, compartment syndrome, and other acute traumatic ischemias
Hyperbaric research: We discuss research in cancer (oncology / chemotherapy), neurology, stroke, cerebral palsy (CP), cerebral edema, traumatic brain injury, transient ischemic attack, near drowning, carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, decompression sickness, and gas embolisms.
We also report on other investigational indications or case studies such as autism (autistic conditions), multiple sclerosis (MS), lyme disease, reconstructive surgery, headache, neuropathy, sports injury, plastic / cosmetic surgery, brown recluse spider bite, diabetic wounds, and other indications.
American Baromedical Corporation (ABC) is the parent company of Best Publishing and the Hyperbaric Medicine Today magazine. Ken Locklear is the President and CEO of ABC, Best Publishing, the Hyperbaric magazine, 1-800-Wound-Center, and he is also the Executive Director of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Research Foundation (ORF).
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments (HBOT) are administered in either monoplace (single person) chambers or multiplace (multi-person) chambers for various conditions. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is used in a variety of indication across several professional associations and societies: the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine (ACHM), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Divers Alert Network (DAN), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Underwater and Baromedical Association (EUBS), International Hyperbaric Medical Association (IHMA), South Specific Underwater Medical Society (SPUMS), et. al.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is defined as the administration of 100% medical grade oxygen at greater than 1.5 Atmospheres Absolute (ATA), which is equivalent to approximately 15 feet below the surface of the ocean. Most hyperbaric chambers are certified up to 3 ATA’s or 66 feet of sea water or deeper (for diving decompression operations). Hyperbarics is further defined as a procedure prescribed by a physician for the administration of oxygen to ameliorate various conditions. While the US Food and Drug Administration control the marketing of hyperbaric oxygen chambers, a chamber can be used under the order of a physician to treat any condition they see deem necessary.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is not a panacea for perfect health. But there is no better way to provide oxygen to deprived cells than a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Hyperbarics is used internationally for indications such as:
INDICATIONS AND RATIONALE FOR HBO THERAPY
Indications |
Rationale |
Acute carbon monoxide poisoning |
Relieve hypoxia; hasten elimination of CO; antagonize brain lipid peroxidation. |
Acute Exceptional blood loss anemia |
Increase physically dissolved oxygen; treat hypoxia; support marginally perfused tissues. |
Acute thermal burns |
Relieve hypoxia; decrease fluid losses; limit burn wound extension and conversion; beat edema; promote wound closure. |
Cerebral arterial gas embolism |
Overcome free gas volume; relieve hypoxia; antagonize leukocyte mediated ischemia – reperfusion injury. |
Chronic osteomyelitis |
Agument host antimicrobial defenses; induce angiogenesis; potentiate leukocyte superoxide and peroxide production; relieve hypoxia; augment antibiotic therapy; extend postantibiotic effect; augment osteoclast activity. |
Clostridial gas gangrene |
Reduce size of gaseous bullae; inactivate clostridial alpha toxin; inhibit alpha toxin production; induce bacteriostasis; potentiate leukocyte superoxide and peroxide production. |
Compromised skin flaps |
Support marginally perfused/oxygenated tissues; antagonize ischemic-reperfusion injury; accelerate angio-genesis. |
Crush injury; acute ischemic |
Provide interim tissue oxygenation in relative states of ischemia; reduce edema; reduce compartment pressures; antagonize ischemic-reperfusion injury; augment limb salvage. |
Decompression sickness |
Overcome free gas volume-induced ischemia; relieve hypoxia; hasten elimination of offending inert gas; treat edema. |
Late radiation tissue injury |
Re-establish wound oxygen gradients; relieve hypoxia; induce angiogenesis; prepare for definitive coverage. |
Late radiation tissue injury prophylaxis |
Re-establish wound oxygen gradients; induce angiogenesis prior to surgical wounding. |
Necrotizing soft tissue infections (fasciffis and cellulitis) |
Induce bacteriostasis of anaerobes; potentiate leukocytic superoxide and peroxide production; relieve hypoxia; more closely demarcate potentially viable tissue. |
Non-healing hypoxic wounds |
Re-establish wound oxygen gradients; relieve hypoxia; reduce edema; induce angiogenesis; correct diabetic-induced leukocyte changes; prepare for definitive coverage. |
WHAT CAN BE TREATED BY HBO?
Emergency Indications:
|
|
|
|
The administration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an issue of informed consent. Make sure you discuss the potential benefits and risks of hyperbarics before consenting to treatment. Check with your insurance provider to see what is considered a covered indication and what is not covered. Coverage of hyperbaric oxygen therapy varies widely from state to state and from insurance provider to provider. Even the FDA and Medicare vary on what is considered reasonable and customary / approved.
To find a hyperbaric chamber in your country or state, click on our searchable database and enter your search criteria. We have a database of every hyperbaric and wound care center in the world. We cover hospitals, free standing clinics, and military chambers.
If you are not familiar with our family of companies, you can visit our other sites at: American Baromedical Corporation (http://americanbaromedical.com/), Best Publishing Company (http://www.bestpub.com/) HBO Calendar (http://hbocalendar.com/), 1-800-Wound-Center (http://www.1800woundcenter.org/), and the Oxygen Research Foundation (http://oxygenresearchfoundation.org/)
