Augusta Health will begin providing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in its Wound Healing Clinic on Monday, Jan. 7. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses a special chamber to allow a person to breathe 100% oxygen. It is used for problem wounds that will not heal with conventional therapy, skin grafts and flaps that are infected or have not healed, bones that have received radiation, tissue that has received radiation and bone that has been infected by bacteria.
“The air we breathe is a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen and other gases, and our bodies are usually able to heal themselves with a normal oxygen level,” says David W. Caulkins, MD, Medical Director of the Wound Healing Clinic. “In certain conditions, though, extra oxygen is required. During Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, the air pressure is increased and 100% oxygen is delivered. The extra oxygen can be used in many ways. Depending on the underlying problem, the oxygen can improve wound healing by reducing swelling, keeping infection under control and stimulating new blood vessel growth.”
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy will be available in Augusta Health’s Wound Healing Clinic from Monday through Friday. It is primarily a procedure that requires a doctor’s referral. The number of treatments required by a patient depends on the condition, but each treatment lasts two hours.
Augusta Health is an independent, nonprofit community hospital whose mission is to promote the health and well-being of our community through access to excellent care. Named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in America by Thomson Reuters in both 2011 and 2012, Augusta Health has also been nationally recognized by HealthGrades for clinical excellence and patient safety.
For more information about Augusta Health, its programs or its services, please contact Public Relations at 540.245.7329 or 540.221.7329, or visit online at www.augustahealth.com.
Share
Contributors
