Our understanding of oxygen therapies has only begun, as we are starting to see case studies of recovery from serious injury by including the use of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The delivery of high volume oxygen in a pressurized container to the body creates impressive conditions that can speed up recovery, and increase the chances that recovery is possible.
Take, for example, the recent case study coming from Medical Gas Research. In the June 30, 2017, publishing of a case study by Paul G. Harch and Edward R. Fogarty, clinicians treated a 1.5-year-old toddler who had suffered from drowning in a pool. The toddler had snuck through a gate after recently learning to walk and had fallen in the pool for at least 5 minutes, if not more than the suspected 15 minutes. Two hours of high-quality CPR was administered until the toddler reached the emergency room.
What occurred after was a medical response that also included delivery of oxygen and stabilization of bodily functions. Doctors began to paint a grim picture for the toddler as the lack of oxygen had resulted in significant brain damage. The toddler was not as responsive previous to the drowning, squirmed frequently, and had shown severe damage to critical parts of the brain.
Doctors began to use oxygen therapy as a means of creating healing in the body which included oxygen therapy in atmospheric pressure, then moving onto using a hyperbaric chamber.
Over the course of a half year and several oxygen therapy sessions, brain scans had shown that the brain had much less damage than previous and that the toddler’s brain had almost experienced a near complete recovery.
This case study, titled “Subacute normobaric oxygen and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in drowning, reversal of brain volume loss: a case report,” further supports the evidence that the hyperbaric chamber provides a plethora of benefits when it comes to whole body health. Although there is a need to pursue further research into the hyperbaric chamber’s benefits, this is a great example of what’s to come in terms of treatment.
Hyperbaric chambers have been used by hospitals for a number of things, including reducing infection in wound care, and oxygen therapy in firefighters who suffered from smoke inhalation. But treatment for brain trauma in toddlers focuses on research done with pressurized oxygen and its impact on the genetic level. By exposing human cells to periodic hyperbaric chamber oxygen therapy, there are a series of genes that are activated that promote healing, a reduction in inflammation, and tissue growth. The oxygen therapy effectively deactivated genes that were associated with inflammation and cell death. Her brain health had benefited from the oxygen therapy by creating conditions in which inflammation was reduced, the conditioned reversed and healing could occur.
This particular case presented some great news for the inclusion of hyperbaric chambers in the treatment for many different illnesses. Through specific protocols, I have seen many wonderful improvements in my own patients with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. If you’re interested in finding out more about this amazing therapy, and how you can benefit from it, feel free to contact us at The Salerno Center. Find out just how important oxygen therapy is!
