Chambers offer healing properties - hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Travis Air Force Base - Brief Article

Airman, August, 2001 by Scott King

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The staff at David Grant Medical Center's hyperbaric medicine flight has a knack for problem solving.

"Our job is very diverse," said Master Sgt. Jonathan Gorum, flight noncommissioned officer in charge. "We do everything from preparing patients for and monitoring them during a dive to heavy maintenance on the chamber system. I guess we could be called 'medics with a wrench.'"

The medical center is home to the Department of Defense's largest chamber system, which is also the second largest in the United States. It houses three state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers and serves as a training facility for the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and University of California-Davis residents, nurses, physical therapy technicians and medical technicians.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the intermittent use of 100 percent oxygen under pressure. It allows patients in the chamber to breathe 100 percent oxygen, under controlled, increased pressure. The goal is to increase the amount and pressure of dissolved oxygen at the tissue level to enhance healing.

The chambers are used to treat 13 clinical afflictions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, crash injuries, radiation and soft tissue damage.

But there are possible side effects of being under pressure.

"Diving is physically exhausting, and there's an increased risk of experiencing decompression sickness like that of a scuba diver," said Capt. Paul Ward, hyperbaric staff member.

The main chamber can hold 18 patients and two attendants during a treatment "dive." During the session, the chamber recreates the pressure of a 2-hour, 45-foot underwater dive.

The chambers are also used to treat local civilians in emergencies.

"We don't just treat patients from Travis," said Lt. Col. Hector Ramirz, hyperbaric staff physician. "We recently treated a Sacramento County sheriff for carbon monoxide poisoning. The outcome was great, and he was real happy we were able to help."