Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for acute spinal cord injury and other orthopaedic conditions

Abstract

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy involves intermittent inhalation by the patient of 100% oxygen under a pressure greater than 1 atmosphere. Both therapeutic and toxic effects can result from two features of this form of treatment; mechanical effects arising from exposure to increased ambient pressure and the physiological effects of hyperoxia. Substantial evidence supports the use of HBO therapy in certain carefully defined settings, though many patients who might benefit go untreated because of their physicians' unfamiliarity with recent research and overall uncertainty about the legitimacy of HBO as a therapy. The author discusses the mechanism of action of HBO therapy and the commonly accepted clinical indications.