Am I A Candidate For Treatment?

What Conditions Can HBOT Treat?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is perhaps most associated with diving injuries and chronic wound healing, but it’s recognized as a safe and effective treatment for more than a dozen acute and chronic conditions*, from diabetic foot ulcers to radiation injury. Specifically, HBOT has been known to treat the following conditions:

  • Diabetic wounds of the lower extremities (ex: foot wounds)
  • Soft tissue radionecrosis (tissue damage caused by radiation)
  • Osteoradionecrosis (bone injury caused by radiation)
  • Compromised skin grafts/skin flaps
  • Chronic refractory osteomyelitis (bone infection)
  • Acute traumatic peripheral ischemia (tissue injury to an extremity caused by lack or loss of blood flow)
  • Crush injuries/suturing of severed limbs
  • Progressive necrotizing infections, such as necrotizing fasciitis (death of tissue caused by fast-spreading bacterial infection)
  • Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency (which can lead to ulcers and other non-healing wounds)
  • Actinomycosis (rare bacterial infection that causes sores and abscesses)
  • Gas embolism/air embolism (blockage of blood supply to a vital organ)
  • Gas gangrene/myonecrosis (bacterial infection)
  • Carbon monoxide intoxication/poisoning
  • Cyanide poisoning
  • Decompression illness (sometimes called diving sickness)

Aside from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved conditions above, HBOT therapy is continually being researched as a viable treatment for a range of acute and chronic conditions.

*You might hear or see these sometimes referred to as “indications” by those in the medical profession.

Enoch Huang, MD

“We have gotten better at managing patients with chronic wounds at our dedicated wound care clinics and using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to complement the treatment plan. The key is for our patients to not wait but to call us right away if they notice a problem. By going to a wound care clinic, amputation is no longer the first and only choice available to patients.”

Dr. Enoch Huang

Program Medical Director for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center’s Hyperbaric Medicine/Wound Healing Department
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Who Is Not A Candidate for HBOT?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy should not be used in the following scenerios:

  • Untreated Pneumothroax
  • Recent Ear Surgery
  • Existing Collapsed Lung
  • Certain types of lung disease
  • Pregnancy (unless CO intoxication)

How to Get Started With Treatment

If you think you might be a candidate for treatment with hyperbaric oxygen the first step is to find a treatment center near you. The facility you choose will be able to set you up with a consultation to determine if HBOT is the correct course of treatment for your condition. Treatments for a wide variety of conditions are covered by Medicare and most major insurance carriers - however there are certain conditions that must be met prior to treatment for each condition before insurance coverage will apply. The wound care center you choose will go over all of these details during your consultation to ensure that you are receiving the best care possible.