Patients — with serious infections and wounds that may not heal easily — visiting the State-run Victoria Hospital can now have access to advanced hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar inaugurated the unit on Monday.
The unit that can accommodate five persons every session including one nursing officer has been established at a cost of ₹3.5 crore.
Wound injuries, infections
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used to aid wound healing in patients with crush injuries, burns and diabetic foot conditions. Hospital Medical Superintendent Ramesh Krishna K. said the therapy can be used to treat vascular problems such as stroke, heart attack, vascular injuries, brain problems and sports injuries; infections of muscles, bones, brain, embolism and gas gangrene. “This therapy can also help in treatment of COVID-19 and mucormycosis (black fungus). Besides, it will also help in treatment of blindness, deafness, erectile dysfunction and anaemia in the elderly,” the doctor said.
“The total duration of treatment for patients is one and a half and two hours per session depending upon the condition. Patients may need five to six sessions or more depending upon the condition. This therapy costs around ₹3,000 per session in private hospitals,” he said.
How does it work?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is provided by subjecting the patient to higher pressures (up to three times the normal atmospheric pressure at sea level) while they breathe 93% and above medical grade oxygen. In a hyperbaric chamber, patients breathe 100% oxygen, the doctor said.
A higher amount of oxygen dissolves in plasma and lymphatic fluids thereby reducing the dependency of red blood cell transport for delivering oxygen to the tissues. Plasma and other fluids can still ooze through the blocks and reach the hypoxic (oxygen-deprived) or affected tissues. Supersaturating the plasma with oxygen through hyperbaric oxygen therapy means that oxygen is delivered to the hypoxic or affected tissues in spite of the blocks allowing them to heal after the initial insult/injury, Dr. Krishna said.
This then leads to the recovery of muscle or brain function depending on how long after the initial injury the treatment is provided. The increased pressure that the patient is subjected to leads to a reduction in inflammation leading to higher delivery of nutrients so that damaged tissues or organs will heal. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has proven to facilitate a higher rate of stem cell stabilisation leading to the regeneration of cells and tissue, he explained.
Free for BPL patients soon
The Minister said that this therapy will soon be included in the State’s health insurance schemes so that it can be provided free of cost to BPL patients.
“We will soon hold a meeting to discuss and fix the rates for non-BPL patients. The unit will be thrown open to patients in the next two weeks,” the Medical Superintendent added
