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Hyperbaric Wound Care In the late spring of 2007, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital introduced a program designed to treat patients with chronic wounds. The Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center houses two on-site monoplace hyperbaric chambers. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a specialized medical treatment that quickly delivers high concentrations of oxygen to the bloodstream, thus stimulating cell growth and increasing blood flow. Hyperbaric oxygen, or HBO, treatment promotes wound healing by exposing the patient to levels of 100-percent oxygen for short periods of time at a pressure that is greater than normal. On average, the air we breathe is about 21 percent oxygen, but patients receive 10 to 20 times greater oxygen levels at pressures higher than normal during an HBO treatment. The treatment promotes the healing process of wounds and is effective in fighting infections. The Wound Center is known to benefit individuals with diabetes and other chronic diseases. Hyperbaric therapy can also be helpful to patients with cancer, who are susceptible to pressure ulcers and sometimes experience wounds during treatment, especially during radiation therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also available at FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital in Rockingham, and wound care is available at FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital in Troy. |
