Complications of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Complications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy are rare, but patients should be screened by the hyperbaric physician prior to treatment. The most common difficulty is with equalizing pressure in the ears, particularly if the patient has had recent upper respiratory infection or sinus problems.
Other, less common complications may include:
- Temporary blurring of distant vision in approximately 20 percent of patients following multiple hyperbaric oxygen treatments. This condition generally corrects itself within four to six weeks following conclusion of therapy.
- A drop in blood sugar levels during therapy in diabetic patients, particularly those receiving insulin. To compensate, efforts are made to raise blood sugar levels slightly higher than normal prior to treatment.
- Confinement anxiety (claustrophobia), which is relatively unusual but can be managed by administering medication to relax the patient.
- Very rarely, oxygen toxicity (fewer than 1 in 20,000 patients).
Contraindications to Hyperbaric Oxygen:
- An untreated pneumothorax
- Prior treatment with bleomycin
- Treatment with doxorubicin within the preceding week
- Ongoing administration of cis-platinum
Other Possible Contraindications:
- History of spontaneous pneumothorax
- Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with CO2 retention or bullous emphysema
- Severe cardiomyopathy or decompensated congestive heart failure (CHF)
- Uncontrolled high fever
- Poorly controlled seizure disorders
- History of optic neuritis
- History of reconstructive ear surgery
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