ES
How exactly does hyperbolic chamber work?
What happens before/ during the treatment?
Wouldn't it then be sufficient to simply give the injured person hyperbolic chamber to breathe? In principle yes, but diffusion is faster under pressure. It takes my body four to six hours to halve the amount of carbon monoxide in my blood under normal conditions. But after that, I still can't be sure if the CO has disappeared from the mitochondria and if there are late complications.
With a threefold increase in pressure of three bar and an oxygen supply of 100 percent, the CO content halves within 23 minutes. And when it comes to fire victims, every minute counts. If in doubt, you have not only inhaled too much carbon monoxide, but possibly also cyanide, i.e. cell toxins, which are produced when plastics are burned.
How exactly does hyperbolic chamber work?
Even the fire brigade can use a device at the scene to measure the CO content in the blood of the rescued. Moreover, if a person shows typical symptoms of smoke inhalation - shortness of breath, chest tightness, or neurological deficits such as
- Unconsciousness
- Disorientation
How do you know who it can help?
The people are immediately given oxygen and transported to the clinic. In the pressure chamber, on the other hand, the person is “brought to diving depth”, as they say: on the first trip, we simulate the pressure that exists 20 meters under water – i.e. three bar.
The hyperbolic chamber treatment lasts 159 minutes, at the end we halve the pressure in stages – as with diving, you should slowly return to the surface, otherwise the lungs threaten to burst. This is pure physics: the product of pressure and volume is always the same.
I increase the pressure I decrease the volume and vice versa. And there is another parallel to diving: The "buddy principle" also applies in the pressure chamber: There should never be one person alone in the chamber. There always has to be a helper.
Are there other emergencies that are treated in the hyperbolic chamber?
Smoke inhalation is the most common emergency in our country, we have about 40 cases a year. Moreover, these are not only fire victims, they are often visitors to a shisha bar who have puffed on the hookah for too long, victims of a poorly maintained gas heater or indoor grill.
Another case is gas fire. This is an extremely dangerous infectious disease in which the pathogen penetrates deep into a contaminated wound and decomposes the muscles.
How much does a treatment in the hyperbaric chamber cost?
A trip in the hyperbolic chamber costs a legally insured patient 170 euros. This can be expensive for outpatient treatment, because only a few health insurance companies pay for it. Diabetes patients who have wound healing problems on their feet should first make 25 trips to the pressure chamber for treatment. This can prevent amputations and close chronic wounds.
How does hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) work?
HBO is a form of treatment in which patients breathe in medically pure oxygen (oxygenation) under overpressure conditions (= hyperbaric atmosphere). Moreover, in order to achieve a therapeutic effect, the pressure must be well above normal ambient pressure. First, the pressure in the hyperbolic chamber increases to 2.4 to 3 times normal pressure.
This depends on the disease being treated
The "drug oxygen" goes through a breathing mask. In the treatment pressure chamber itself there is air of normal composition throughout the treatment period. The inhaled oxygen passes on to the blood via the lungs.
At the beginning of the treatment:
- The suitability of the pressure chamber checked
- The physical examination
- Collection of the complete medical history (anamnesis)
A thorough examination using existing findings clarifies the patient's personal suitability for the use of HBOT. The therapy always carries out in close coordination in hyperbolic chamber with the treating physicians. Moreover, it is in order to optimally coordinate all diagnostic and therapeutic measures.
The treatment begins depends on the disease
After the preliminary examination and the medical explanation, the treatment begins, which, depending on the disease, lasts between 135 minutes - depending on the type of disease. Each HBO divides into three phases:
- The ambient pressure in the therapy chamber slowly increases.
- Once the therapy pressure reaches, 100 percent oxygen inhales via special masks.
- Towards the end of the therapy session, the positive pressure in the chamber slowly reduces and the oxygen supply stop.
The hyperbolic chamber fills with normal room air, the mask is easy to remove at any time. There is normal room air in the pressure chamber all the time, so the mask is easy to remove at any time.
For the first treatment, the patient comes into the pressure chamber – a specially trained employee stays by their side.
A video-supported communication system enables constant visual and voice
Our pressure chambers come with state-of-the-art medical technology monitoring systems: ECG, pulse rate, respiration, blood pressure and oxygen content in the tissue are easy to measure.
While the body is oxygenating, the patient has time for a few moments of rest. A modern external entertainment system makes it possible to listen to music or watch a video in the hyperbolic chamber. For reasons of fire protection, your own mobile devices cannot be common in the pressure chamber.
Moreover, the HBO treatment carries out over several consecutive days. After the end of the therapy, there is a detailed concluding discussion with the doctor.
Assumption of hyperbaric chamber costs: assumed by all payers
The costs of emergency care and inpatient treatment usually assume by all payers.
Except in the case of diabetic foot syndrome, outpatient HBO is not a contractual service provided by statutory health insurance. This means that the health insurance companies can only cover the costs of hyperbolic chamber in individual cases and after individual examination.
Conclusion
Moreover, we therefore advise every outpatient to submit the cost estimate we have prepared before the start of therapy as well as the therapy recommendation of the treating doctor to their health insurance company. The declaration of cost coverage from your health insurance company should be available in writing before the start of therapy.