Newswise — Wound Care at Northwest began a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) program on March 31, 2005. HBOT speeds up the healing process for many patients suffering from chronic wounds that won't heal with routine treatments.
"Nearly five-million people in the U-S have chronic wounds, many of whom could see real improvement if they had the advantage of HBOT," says Jay Karpa, MD, program director of Wound Care at Northwest featuring HBOT. "People who have diabetes and those with vascular disease are at the highest risk of developing non-healing skin ulcers."
Northwest Hospital Center has installed two HBOT chambers and will offer one of only six hyperbaric oxygen therapy programs in the Baltimore area.
"HBOT is a medical treatment that helps the healing process by stimulating cell growth and enhancing additional elements of healing. "By increasing the blood's ability to carry oxygen through HBOT, many benefits occur," says Alan Davis, MD, associate chief of surgery at Northwest Hospital Center.
The actual treatment can be relaxing for patients. They lie on a stretcher, which slides into one of the roomy HBOT chambers. "Pure oxygen is let into the chamber daily during sessions, which are less than two hours long. While patients are being treated, they can listen to music, watch TV or just rest," says Davis.
Patients using HBOT can see dramatic results as early as two weeks from the start of treatment. "Another advantage is that this therapy is noninvasive," says Karpa. "This treatment will be used in conjunction with the standard wound therapies that patients had been receiving." If those therapies prove to be insufficient after an adequate amount of time, HBOT will be considered.
"Northwest Hospital's program will concentrate on non-healing wounds and other outpatient difficulties, such as chronic bone infections, late ill effects of radiation, and more," says Richard Franklin, MD. "In some cases, HBOT can also save limbs that may not have been saved in the past."
Wound Care at Northwest opened its doors ten years ago and averages more than 200 visits a month. Northwest Hospital Center is part of LifeBridge Health, one of the largest and most comprehensive providers of health services in northwest Baltimore.
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