HBOT - HyperBar Oxygen Therapy means that the patient breathes 100 % of oxygen under elevated pressure in a pressurised chamber. By breathing oxygen under elevated pressure, an increased amount of oxygen dissolves in the blood and reaches the damaged, infected and inflamed tissue.

WHAT IS HBOT GOOD FOR?

Some wounds are more difficult to heal than others, for example because the wound area is poorly oxygenated. Injured and infected tissue with poor circulation is deprived of oxygen and this can cause long-term pain and swelling.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps white blood cells fight bacteria, increases and speeds up the formation of new blood vessels and improves the effectiveness of some antibiotics.
Diabetics with foot ulcers that are difficult to heal and do not heal despite antibiotics and good wound care have a good chance of being helped by HBO treatment. Patients who have undergone radiotherapy for cancer and have experienced problems in the form of frequent urination and easy bleeding of the mucous membrane in the bladder (radiation cystitis) and/or rectum (proctitis), or who have radiation-damaged jawbones with jawbone blots (osteoradionecrosis) can also be helped by HBOT.

New research is being published showing these effects and you can read more about one such study here. The full report can be ordered from here on individual request.

HOW DOES A TREATMENT WORK?

There are two types of pressurised chambers, a large intensive care chamber (multiplace) and a single-place chamber (monoplace).

In the large pressurised chamber, which is mainly used for intensive care patients, medical staff are present inside the pressurised chamber to care for and perform medical procedures during HBO treatment. The patient is either on a ventilator or breathing into a mask.
In the one-man chamber, the entire chamber is filled with oxygen and the patient can lie down and breathe without a mask. The chamber is made of acrylic glass and equipped with a TV and DVD on the outside, so you can watch a film, listen to the radio and audio book during the treatment. The treatment lasts approximately one hour and 40 minutes. A treatment series comprises a total of 20 - 40 treatments, five days a week.

HOW CAN I GET HBOT TREATMENT?

HBOT treatment counts as specialised care and is always part of a comprehensive treatment. You need a referral to get to a pressure chamber treatment centre in your county. This will be written by your treating doctor. You can get more information from Sahlgrenska University Hospital or Karolinska Hospital. There are also smaller hospitals that offer HBOT in our delivered pressure chambers such as Helsingborg, Uddevalla, Karlskrona.