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 Staying on the leading technological edge of patient treatment modalities, Saint Margaret Mercy offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy at its Hammond Campus. The state-of-the-art MSI i2010 Hyperbaric System is the first of its kind in the country.
The addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to Saint Margaret Mercy, the Wound Healing & Prevention Institute and the community will make a positive change in the lives of people with life- and limb-threatening wounds or other serious diseases.
What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) is a medical treatment by which 100 percent oxygen is administered at high pressure to a patient in order to treat specific medical conditions. It has been shown to be particularly effective in healing and treating problem wounds, chronic bone infection, radiation injury and compromised skin grafts and flaps.
The following are well-established and accepted conditions payable by major third party payers and the financial intermediaries of Medicare:
- Acute carbon monoxide intoxication
- Decompression illness
- Gas embolism
- Gas gangrene
- Acute traumatic peripheral ischemia (ATI) – a condition that compromises circulation to an extremity and places it at risk for necrosis or amputation
- Crush injuries and suturing of severed limbs
- Progressive necrotizing infections – a severe, tissue-destroying, bacterial infection
- Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency – an acute decrease in blood flow
- Preparation and preservation of compromised skin grafts
- Chronic refractory osteomyelitis – a persistent or recurring bone infection that is unresponsive to conventional medical and surgical management
- Osteoradionecrosis – bone damage following radiation therapy
- Soft tissue radionecrosis – soft tissue damage following radiation therapy
- Cyanide poisoning – smoke inhalation victims frequently suffer from both carbon monoxide and cyanide poisoning
- Actinomycosis – a bacterial infection that causes an abscess or open wound
- Diabetic wounds of the lower extremities
 You have access to state-of-the-art hyperbaric equipment – the MSI i2010 Hyperbaric System. The unique stainless steel chamber is the ultimate of safety and treatment capability. The unit is a dual patient treatment chamber capable of allowing in-chamber attendance by a nurse technician or physician, if needed.
The average treatment is approximately 107 minutes. The patient is placed in the specially designed chamber, the pressure in the chamber is increased, and 100 percent oxygen is breathed. The increased oxygen intake results in an effective rise of oxygen delivery to the bloodstream, tissue, bone and cells, which furthers the body’s ability to heal.
Patients may require 15 to 20 treatments and may require other specific care and treatment, including special hyperbaric compatible dressing, surgical debridement and other appropriate therapies. The Wound Healing Institute will work with you and keep you informed.
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Improved Care
Acceleration of wound healing or one of the more acute conditions listed above can mean the difference between disability or death, and healing.
Shorter Hospital Stay
Patients treated with HBO may spend fewer days in the hospital. In some cases, prompt HBO treatment has resulted in reductions in length of stay by 30 percent to 50 percent, compared to matched groups of patients treated conventionally.
Lower Costs
HBO can stop losses resulting from prolonged disability. By accelerating healing and reducing the length of hospital stay, HBO coincides with cost--containment goals of major insurance providers.
Referrals
The Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber is located at Saint Margaret Mercy’s Wound Healing & Prevention Institute at the North Campus. A physician team is available for consultation during hours of operation. Physicians on call are trained in Hyperbaric Medicine and can offer immediate assistance, including answers to any questions regarding the referral.
The staff will work closely with you to answer any questions regarding insurance approval. Staff is dedicated to working with the primary referring physician and will coordinate other procedures and hospital visits.
For more information on hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Saint Margaret Mercy, call the Wound Healing & Prevention Institute at (219) 933-2666 or 708-891-9305, ext. 32666. |