Disorders Treated With Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy seems to benefit people with some disorders. These include

• Air embolism

• Dysbaric osteonecrosis, sometimes called avascular bone necrosis (bone cells that die because of poor blood supply)

• Blockage of the large artery or vein that supplies the retina in the eye

• Clostridial infection (a severe bacterial infection of soft tissues)

• Decompression sickness

• Death of bone caused by radiation therapy (osteoradionecrosis)

• Infection with “flesh-eating bacteria” (necrotizing fasciitis)

• Poorly healing skin grafts

• Severe bone infection (osteomyelitis)

• Severe burns

• Severe carbon monoxide poisoning

• Severe crushing injury, usually of a limb

• Soft-tissue or bone injury caused by radiation therapy

• Wounds in limbs that have poor blood supply

It is less clear whether treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps people with other disorders, and studies in these disorders are still being done:

• Brain abscess and infection caused by actinomycosis

• Severe anemia and very low blood pressure due to blood loss when transfusion is not possible