DOI: 10.36347/sasjs.2023.v09i04.025

Pages: 336-340

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is defined as a method of administering inhaled oxygen (O2) for therapeutic purposes under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The therapeutic benefits of HBO result, on the one hand, from the physical effects linked to the increase in barometric pressure and the partial pressure of O2 in the tissues and, on the other hand, from the biological effects linked to the production reactive species of O2 and nitrogen. These are likely to interact with many molecular processes responsible for the main anti-ischemic, pro-healing and anti-infective effects. Its indications are regularly evaluated within the framework of international consensus conferences. The references in terms of indications for HBO are, on the one hand, the North American consensus of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and, on the other hand, the European consensus of the European Committee of Hyperbaric Medicine (ECHM). HBOT is applied through an hyperbaric chamber. It is a complex technique, which requires a strong human and material investment. It includes some contreindications to respect and well-identified risks to take into account.