{"title":"Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Japan, Now and in the Future.","authors":"Gen Takagi","doi":"10.1272/jnms.JNMS.2025_92-311","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The principles of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) have been known since ancient times. Empirical knowledge regarding relief of decompression sickness (DCS) symptoms in divers re-entering a pressurized environment was reported as early as 4,500 BC. DCS was recognized as a disease after deep diving became possible because of diving helmets. DCS also occurs in high-pressure dry workspaces (caissons) developed to construct bridges and tunnels. After the discovery of oxygen in the 18th century, its administration was found to be beneficial in treating conditions that developed after rapid decompression, and HBOT is now established as a part of recompression therapy. This review describes the indications for HBOT in Japan and its effectiveness, as indicated by the author's experience with HBOT in the Department of Emergency Room and General Medicine at Nippon Medical School.</p>","PeriodicalId":56076,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nippon Medical School","volume":"92 3","pages":"242-247"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Nippon Medical School","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1272/jnms.JNMS.2025_92-311","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The principles of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) have been known since ancient times. Empirical knowledge regarding relief of decompression sickness (DCS) symptoms in divers re-entering a pressurized environment was reported as early as 4,500 BC. DCS was recognized as a disease after deep diving became possible because of diving helmets. DCS also occurs in high-pressure dry workspaces (caissons) developed to construct bridges and tunnels. After the discovery of oxygen in the 18th century, its administration was found to be beneficial in treating conditions that developed after rapid decompression, and HBOT is now established as a part of recompression therapy. This review describes the indications for HBOT in Japan and its effectiveness, as indicated by the author's experience with HBOT in the Department of Emergency Room and General Medicine at Nippon Medical School.
期刊介绍:
The international effort to understand, treat and control disease involve clinicians and researchers from many medical and biological science disciplines. The Journal of Nippon Medical School (JNMS) is the official journal of the Medical Association of Nippon Medical School and is dedicated to furthering international exchange of medical science experience and opinion. It provides an international forum for researchers in the fields of bascic and clinical medicine to introduce, discuss and exchange thier novel achievements in biomedical science and a platform for the worldwide dissemination and steering of biomedical knowledge for the benefit of human health and welfare. Properly reasoned discussions disciplined by appropriate references to existing bodies of knowledge or aimed at motivating the creation of such knowledge is the aim of the journal.