Hyperbaric and Wound Clinic

At Aurora BayCare we offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help heal specific chronic wounds. By increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood, more oxygen is delivered to injured tissues. This stimulates the growth of small blood vessels and new skin.

Patients at risk for chronic wounds include those with diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, a history of radiation therapy, and those who smoke tobacco.

To contact Aurora BayCare Medical Center or make a referral to the Hyperbaric and Wound Care Clinic, please call 920-288-4010.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) defines hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) as a medical treatment in which the patient is entirely enclosed in a chamber and breathes oxygen while the chamber pressure is increased to a pressure greater than one atmosphere.

According to the UHMS, breathing 100% oxygen at one atmosphere of pressure or exposing isolated parts of the body to 100% oxygen does not constitute hyperbaric oxygen therapy; the patient must receive the oxygen by inhalation within a pressurized chamber.

There are basically 2 types of chambers, monoplace and multiplace. The main differences are chamber size, number of occupants, and how the oxygen is delivered.

  • Monoplace chambers are single-person chambers pressurized with 100% oxygen from which the patient breathes directly.
  • Multiplace chambers are designed to hold two or more persons. Multiplace chambers are pressurized with compressed air while patients breathe 100% oxygen through a mask, hood or endotrachial tube.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is available to patients to complement the use of certain antibiotics and surgery, and in the treatment of specific chronic wounds such as diabetic ulcers, chronic refractory osteomyelitis and osteo- and soft tissue-radionecrosis. By increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood, more oxygen is delivered to injured tissues. This increase in dissolved oxygen stimulates the growth of small blood vessels (angiogenesis) and new skin, and helps fight infection through enhancement of the body's own immune function.

Other treatment modalities employed for chronic wounds include infection management, nutritional support and compression therapy where indicated. Patients at risk for chronic wounds include those with diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, a history of radiation therapy, and those who smoke tobacco.

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