Hyperbaric Chamber Training Courses Available

By Janine Hughes


It was not long ago that research began to show the health benefits of patients breathing in pure oxygen at a great pressure than normal. Chambers used for this purpose had been a part of diving operations for some time but had no other purpose. The discovery was made that this treatment increased the oxygen supply to the tissues and organs, accelerating healing. As this therapy becomes more popular, so hyperbaric chamber training courses have been developed to train health care professionals to administer it.

There are basically two main types of chambers, one which is designed for a single patient whilst the other can accommodate several patients at a time. There is enough space for patients to be comfortable and delivery of the oxygen is individualized. The team can enter and exit the chamber without compromising treatment due to separate compartments compressing and decompressing independently.

So many different problems have been discovered to benefit from this treatment. It is often used together with other medical and surgical treatments, particularly when they have not been that successful. Wounds that do not heal, thermal burns and crush injuries are just some of the conditions that respond well to treatment. A trained physician determines the safest dose and amount of time necessary to treat each condition.

A variety of courses are available, some associated with a particular hospital and others with organizations connected with promoting this type of therapy. It is vitally important to choose a course that is suitably accredited and formulated by those with the right credentials and experience. Cost, length and course content will obviously also play a part in making a decision as to which course to do.

Many health care professionals choose to update their skills with online courses today. The online courses offered are often excellent quality and the most up-to-date information and tools are available. Online forums and discussion groups put students in touch with one another. Plenty of help is usually available from instructors too.

A basic course should cover all the physical aspects of this field of medicine, patient care, oxygen toxicity, how chambers work, contraindications, side effects and more. Significant focus should be given to the clinical aspects of therapy. A course should always offer a good balance between theory and practice and as many learning aids as possible such slides and videos should be utilized.

These courses may cover different content and be more basic or advanced according to the type of health professional being trained. Physicians will require different courses to nurses and technologists to respiratory therapists. The certification offered also varies according to the type of course completed.

A well trained multi-disciplinary team is required by any hospitals with chambers as well as medical centers. Treatment is often used together with surgical and medical treatment and is often found to be helpful when other treatments are not so successful. Doing such a course opens up this relatively new arena of medicine and this work can be very fulfilling.




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