Experts say prevention is the best way to stamp out carbon monoxide poisoning.

Although the risk increases during the winter months, carbon monoxide poisoning is possible anytime someone’s around a poorly-ventilated fireplace, furnace or engine.

“The potential exists anyplace where there’s burning or combustion going on,” said Dennis Thompson, assistant chief for the North Platte Fire Department.

Jean Kay, public health nurse for the West Central District Health Department, said part of the reason carbon monoxide is so dangerous is because it’s colorless, odorless and tasteless.

“Basically, it prevents the bloodstream from effectively carrying oxygen,” she said. “People who are sleeping or intoxicated can die from it and not experience any symptoms.”

Symptoms can develop within an hour or two after exposure and can include headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. If the poisoning goes undetected, it can be fatal.

“A lot of times people play it off that they have a touch of the flu, and the end result can be devastating,” said Thompson. “Those flu-like symptoms can begin in the 15- to 20-parts-per-million range. If we’re asked to check on a carbon monoxide problem and are registering anything over nine parts per million we call for the gas company.”

Dr. Lon Keim, with The Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, said oxygen can be used to remove carbon monoxide from the blood and return the body’s levels to normal.

“The use of hyperbaric oxygen for a patient overcome by carbon monoxide is the gold standard for the treatment of CO poisoning,” said Keim. “Studies have shown that there may be faster recovery by using hyperbaric oxygen than just taking oxygen through a facemask.”

He said hyperbaric oxygen treatments last about an hour and a half and involve placing patients inside a clear cylinder surrounded by pressurized pure oxygen. Keim, Thompson and Kay all agree it’s best to try to avoid getting to that point.

“If we have an ice storm that knocks out electricity, what’s the first thing people do? They get out their generators,” said Kay. “Putting them in the house or close to the house can cause a carbon monoxide buildup.” She recommended making sure furnace and fireplace chimneys are clean and unobstructed and that heating systems are inspected on an annual basis.

Thompson suggested installing carbon monoxide detectors on walls or ceilings in utility rooms, kitchens and near fireplaces. He said split-level homes should have one on every floor, and batteries in the detectors should be changed each spring and fall, just like smoke detectors.

“If people suspect they have a leak they can open windows to start ventilating the house, but that will throw off our meter readings,” he said. “The most important thing to do is get occupants out of the home and call for help.”

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Virgil Rochester of Escondido is a World War II veteran, a retired military and civilian lawyer and a longtime diabetic.

The latter condition could have cost Rochester his left foot if he had followed a physician’s recommendation to amputate his diabetic, bone-infected limb.

Fortunately, he waited for a second opinion and found one he welcomed at the Palomar Wound Care Center in San Marcos. The medical staff immediately put together a multidisciplinary approach to preserve his problem limb.

“They told me there not to even talk about amputation,” says Rochester, smiling while preparing to leave the outpatient clinic after another round of treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

Roger Schechter, M.D., Medical Director of the Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) Wound Care Centers in San Marcos and Poway, says his medical team is dedicated to healing chronic wounds that threaten limbs.

“We’re not just a wound care center. We’re really a limb preservation and chronic wound healing center,” Dr. Schechter says.

“The Wound Care Centers specialize in treating patients with diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, lower extremity arterial disease ulcers, late effects of radiation or radiation burns, surgical wounds and trauma.

“Here in the Wound Care Center, Mr. Rochester had a comprehensive team approach to healing his wound, including the participation of a wound care and hyperbaric doctor, an infectious disease physician and a podiatrist,” Dr. Schechter says.

The podiatrist removed a small piece of infected bone, Schechter says, explaining the multidisciplinary approach used in Rochester’s case.

Rochester is currently undergoing daily hyperbaric oxygen therapy inside a pressurized chamber where he breathes pure oxygen. The therapy allows a high concentration of oxygen to get into bloodstream, which is helping to increase his body’s own natural wound-healing abilities.

“It works to kill germs, heal infected bone and heal up tissue in diabetics, who have relatively poor blood flow,” says Dr. Schechter, who has special board certifications in Emergency Medicine, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care.

Rochester is expected to fully heal after he was diagnosed with a diabetic foot ulcer, limb-threatening peripheral vascular arterial occlusive disease and bone infection.

Rochester was nearly resigned to losing his foot after a physician recommended amputation in August. Fortunately, a vascular surgeon at Palomar Medical Center advised him not to go through with it and sought other treatment for him.

The vascular surgeon performed a procedure to help restore blood flow to his affected limb. Rochester was discharged and given IV antibiotics at his home. A PPH Home Health nurse told him about the Wound Care Center in San Marcos during a visit to his home.

“They do wonders. Your best bet is to get over there,” Rochester recalls the nurse telling him. “I feel lucky that the (Home Health) nurse told me about the Wound Care Center.

Dr. Schechter recommends a visit to the Wound Care Centers to anybody who has a wound that has not healed fifty percent in four weeks or completely healed in eight weeks.

“Don’t let somebody cut off your leg until you’ve had a full evaluation by a comprehensive team of specialists who are dedicated to limb preservation,” Dr. Schechter says emphatically.

The Palomar Wound Care Center is at 120 Craven Road, Suite 105, San Marcos. It can be reached by calling 760.510.7300.

The Pomerado Wound Care Center is at 15611 Pomerado Road, Suite 200, Poway.It can be reached by calling 858.613.6255.

Research led by Dr. Paul Harch, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has found that treatment with hyperbaric oxygen nearly three years after injury significantly improved function and quality of life for veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings are available online now in the Journal of Neurotrauma.

Sixteen US veterans injured in Iraq who had been diagnosed with mild-moderate traumatic brain injury/post-concussion syndrome (TBI/PCS) or traumatic brain injury/post-concussion syndrome/post-traumatic distress disorder (TBI/PCS/PTSD) were enrolled in the pilot study. They completed a history and physical exam as well as a clinical interview by a neuropsychologist, psychometric testing, symptom and quality of life questionnaires, and baseline SPECT (Single-photon emission computed tomography) brain blood flow imaging prior to treatment. The veterans then underwent 40 treatments of low-dose hyperbaric oxygen therapy during 60-minute sessions over a 30-day period. They were retested within a week after treatment.

Post-treatment testing revealed significant improvements in symptoms, abnormal physical exam findings, cognitive testing, quality of life measurements, and SPECT scans. Results showed improvement in 92% of vets experiencing short-term memory problems, in 87% of those complaining of headache, in 93% of those with cognitive deficits, in75% with sleep disruption, and in 93% with depression. They also saw improvements in irritability, mood swings, impulsivity, balance, motor function, IQ, and blood flow in the brain, as well as a reduction in PTSD symptoms and suicidal thoughts. These findings were mirrored by a reciprocal reduction or elimination of psychoactive and narcotic prescription medication usage in 64% of those for whom they were prescribed.

“This study strongly suggests that both post traumatic stress disorder and the post concussion syndrome of mild traumatic brain injury are treatable nearly three years after injury,” concludes Dr. Paul Harch, who is also Medical Director of the LSU Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Care Department. “The magnitude of the improvements in memory, executive function, functional brain imaging, and quality of life, as well as reduction in concussion and PTSD symptoms cannot be explained with a placebo effect.”

Blast-induced TBI and PTSD are diagnoses of particular concern in the United States because of the volume of affected servicemen and women from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. A 2008 Rand Report estimates that 300,000 (18.3%) of 1.64 million military service members who have deployed to these war zones have PTSD or major depression and 320,000 (19.5%) have experienced a TBI. Overall, approximately 546,000 have TBI, PCS, or PTSD and 82,000 have symptoms of all three.

Evidence-based treatment for PTSD exists, but problems with access to and quality of treatment have been problematic in the military setting. Treatment of the symptomatic manifestation of mild TBI, the PCS, is limited. Treatment consists of off-label use of FDA blackbox labeled psychoactive medications, counseling, stimulative, and adaptive strategies. There is no effective treatment for the combined diagnoses of PCS and PTSD.

Further studies in Veterans are underway to confirm the present findings.

Source: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

Hyperbaric Oxygen Now Available for Dogs

Boca Raton vet has special chamber for pets

The Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment once only used to treat humans is now helping to treat injured pets.

by WILLIAM WRIGHT

7 days ago | 1142 views | 0  | 6  |  | 

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Stephanie McClain knows there is no cure for autism, but she and her autistic son, Corey, have discovered new hope for a calmer lifestyle by using hyperbaric oxygen therapy to enhance the body’s natural healing process.

The wife and mother of three said the discovery of hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT, in Cleveland has been a real blessing to her and her family who had been searching for some kind of treatment to alleviate the challenges associated with autism.

“When Corey wants something or something is wrong, he gets real frustrated,” McClain admits. “He might pinch or bite or throw himself on the floor and start crying — whether it be the floor at the mall or at home.”

Since the hyperactive 7-year-old received 16 treatments in four weeks, McClain said she noticed changes in her son’s cognitive skills and demeanor.

“He’s real calm right after his treatments,” McClain said. “It seems to have a calming affect on him. Corey also lets me brush his teeth now. That’s a big step! We would have to hold him down before. He’s also been saying “Momma” a lot more and a lot clearer. He just seems more cooperative.”

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves the breathing of pure oxygen while in a sealed chamber that has been pressurized at 1 to 3 times normal atmospheric pressure. It is the medical use of oxygen for a wide variety of ailments, including autism, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke and traumatic brain injuries.

According to McClain, the changes in her son’s behavior are real and linked to HBO therapy — a blessing for which she and her husband, Scott, are especially thankful.

“For (Corey) to be cooperative — just to do little things like go to the grocery store and be cooperative — that’s a big step. You don’t realize how big it is until you have a child who’s not cooperative.”

Rhonda Arms, an RN at the Hyperbaric Services of East Tennessee in Cleveland, brings her 18-year-old son, Thomas Webster, in for hyperbaric oxygen therapy one hour every day. Thomas was diagnosed as mildly autistic with obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention deficit disorder, according to Arms.

After 28 treatments since Oct. 3, the wife and mother of two autistic sons said she is impressed with Thomas’ dramatic improvement.

“Before, he only talked about movies and movie stars. He can carry on a conversation without that now,” said Arms. Her 7-year-old son, Logan, has Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. With two autistic children at home it’s quite common for them to get frustrated with each other.

“A week and a half into the treatments and we heard them sitting down having a conversation! And they’ve never had a conversation without fussing or picking at each other,” Arms said.

“When I ask Thomas to take out the garbage and stuff like that — Thomas is the gentle giant — he’ll do anything. But he’ll mumble to himself even though he’s getting up and doing it. Well, he doesn’t mumble anymore! The frustration is not there like it used to be.”

Although Thomas is the only one taking HBOT, Arms said she had witnessed both sons enjoying a calmer, closer relationship — even laughing together recently.

“I have never seen that!” she insists. “Because it always ends up in a fight. Now Thomas is more insightful, more aware of cause and effect, and he’s excited about coming for his treatments.”

Tracy Senters, a CNA, phlebotomy and HBOT technician at the center, has assisted Thomas from his first treatment to the present.

“What I’ve noticed significantly is his taking more initiative and expressing more of his feelings than at the beginning,” Senters said. “He carries on conversations with me and he looks me in my eyes. That’s a big deal to me.”

Clinic Manager Myriam Diaz Rutland agreed, adding, “I’ve noticed the social improvements. When he first came to the clinic Thomas wouldn’t make eye contact and would look down frequently.

“If he spoke it was soft and sometimes mumbled. Now he’s the first one to greet me in the mornings and is oftentimes the first one to start a conversation. As per his teachers in school, they’re seeing more focus and cognitive improvements.”

Arms, who describes herself as “elated” at her son’s improvement, confessed, “For us moms of autistic kids — any minor thing the majority of people have ever looked at and thought it was normal — they’re huge battles for us.

“If you only knew where we came from to where we are now — these are huge, huge battles for us. I want Thomas to be all he can be. I want him to have every opportunity that can benefit him. As a mom I have to do that.

“These (Thomas and Logan) are my gifts from heaven. I may not have chosen this, but I was chosen. I take that seriously. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for the betterment of those boys.”

According to Alvin Word, president and CEO of Hyperbaric Services of East Tennessee, hyperbaric oxygen therapy forces more oxygen into the tissue, encouraging the formation of new blood vessels.

“As new blood vessels develop, the red blood cells start to flow, delivering even more oxygen to the affected area which creates the optimal environment for the body’s natural healing processes to repair damaged tissue,” he said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat more than a dozen health problems such as decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, gangrene, brain abscess and injuries in which tissues are not getting enough oxygen.

Dr. Atul M. Gupta, medical director at the center said for East Tennessee to have a facility providing these services of this magnitude is amazing.

“This is a novel therapy, in that more people today have access to it as never before,” Gupta explained. “The science has been around for decades. We’re just now learning about so many more applications that it has. Whereas before we thought it would only help with divers.

“Then we learned it has many practical applications with wound healing and cancer patients. We recently learned how much it helps with traumatic brain injury. We’ve learned just in the last five years that there are over 100 different conditions that this can help with. While the technology and science has been there, the research is just now catching up to how great a treatment this is.”

“We’re focusing on neurological problems, not just autism,” Word said. “Autism is a big one because it affects so many young kids as well as adults.”

“Things like autism, cerebral palsy, stroke patients, patients with migraines, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis — just to name a few,” Gupta added.

According to Word and Gupta, the treatment is no panacea, nor is it for everyone.

“If a person has a heart condition, their injection fraction has to meet certain standards so that the heart is not overloaded,” Word explained. “If they have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), you don’t want to put too much pressure on those lungs and cause a problem there.”

“It’s definitely not for everybody,” Gupta went on to say. “That’s why all these treatments are done under close medical guidance and clearance, and then under close medical supervision. You don’t need a referral from your doctor. That’s why I am there.

“We have a doctor there to oversee the entire facility. We go through a thorough screening process to see if hyperbaric is appropriate for that person or not.”

“I’ll be the first to tell you I would make no claims that this is a cure factor for any of the things we just talked about,” Word admits. “But at the same time I can honestly say, with the number of treatments and the discipline of the patient following through, they will achieve a higher quality of life and they will improve their quality of life.

“There will be significant improvement in any number of their motor skills and, in some cases, their verbalization, where they may have been nonverbal in the past.”

“What we’re trying to do is twofold,” Gupta said. “One, improve their level of functioning, and two, in doing so, improve their quality of life.”

“I know we’re going through the clinic but God is good,” Arms said. “This is only by His mercies. He gets the ultimate victory for this. I’m just so thankful to have this opportunity.”

Word said, “Being a man of faith, I assume my God was speaking to me, saying, ‘Alvin, it’s time. You’ve been blessed in so many ways. You need to provide this service to those who need it but can’t get it.’”

An appreciative McClain said, “There’s no place like this around here where you can go. Most hyperbaric places are for the wounds at hospitals. This place takes office visits. I had heard about it and researched it on the Internet. We have truly been blessed.”

Hyperbaric Services of East Tennessee is located at 3575 Keith St. N.W. Sweet Grass Court, suite 102.

For further information call 423-790-7751 or visit www.hbotn.com.

Read more: Cleveland Daily Banner – Hope is in the air for autism Parents see improvements with hyperbaric oxygen therapy

St Paul, MN, November 23, 2011 –(PR.com)– Summit to Sea, the maker of the Hyperbaric Dives chambers, have provided a new and innovative product to the hyperbaric therapy market place. The company’s Grand Dive solution mounted vertically is considered one of the largest and most comfortable to use mild hyperbaric chambers now on the market.

The product’s superb average 40 inch width means that home users can comfortably fit 1- 2 people inside the chamber, making it ideal for families. In addition, those who wish to perform exercises within the chamber will now be able to do so in extreme comfort, as this roomy solution leaves plenty of room for a variety of high-impact exercise routines. Many of their users have placed a comfortable chair inside allowing the occupant to sit inside the chamber instead of lying down. The product’s frame is designed using lightweight and highly durable PVC to provide the product with the ability to add portability as well as long-lasting quality.

Sometimes those receiving treatment within a hyperbaric chamber can experience bouts of claustrophobia due to the lack of space and brightness. The Summit to Sea Hyperbaric Dives’ solutions are built to help prevent that feeling. Each solution within their catalogue is constructed using a highly translucent material, which provides the area inside with a bright ambiance that promotes comfort and well-being during the course of treatment.

The company’s hyperbaric chambers have been approved for use by the FDA for the treatment of acute altitude sickness. And this is just one of the reasons that the company’s catalogue of products has received so much market acclaim in recent times. By adding their Grand Dive vertically mounted solution, Summit to Sea’s Hyperbaric Dives are now offering clients around the world a large and versatile high-value option for their hyperbaric therapy needs.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Study on Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Completed

To all Veterans, Dr. Harch, Juliette Harch, and Claire Aubrey of Harch Hyperbarics and the staff of the Family Physicians Center would like to thank you for your service.

Marrero, LA (PRWEB) November 11, 2011

Preliminary evidence from a study of low pressure Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for veterans with chronic blast-induced traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and/or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is about to be published. The study was initiated to test the safety and feasibility of HBOT in these conditions, but somewhat surprisingly demonstrated stunning improvements in the veterans. Dr. Harch and colleagues hope the study results will begin to change the way the medical field looks at this life and quality-of-life-saving therapy.

This brain injury program is a direct result of the many years of experience of Dr. Harch treating chronically brain-injured patients. In the late 1980′s while at the Jo Ellen Smith Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Dr. Harch observed patients with cerebral decompression sickness and/or air embolism who responded to hyperbaric oxygen therapy long after treatment of inert gas bubbles had passed or with delayed treatment months to years after standard U.S. Navy treatments had achieved partial success. In addition, Dr. Harch observed patients with traumatic brain injury or stroke who, months to years after their head injury experienced gratuitous neurological improvement during the course of hyperbaric treatment.

Now, in a continuing effort to have TBI/PTSD recognized as one of the standard accepted indications for HBOT treatment this phase-one study has been completed. With TBI/PTSD renowned as the signature wound acquired from the war on terror Dr. Harch wants all veterans to know that help is available.

To all Veterans, Dr. Harch, Juliette Harch, and Claire Aubrey of Harch Hyperbarics and the staff of the Family Physicians Center would like to thank you for your service.

“To the Veterans who participated in the LSU Pilot Trial Harch Hyperbarics and the staff of the Family Physicians Center thank you for your special service. You placed your trust and confidence in them, took a chance on hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and came to New Orleans for treatment from all over the United States. Your commitment of time, energy, and trust hopefully was personally rewarding, but is about to contribute immeasurably to the future health of the hundreds of thousands of fellow Veterans with concussion and post-traumatic stress disorder who have been unable to access the life and quality of life saving potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Within the next week the first article on the study in which you participated will be published. The abstract can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22026588. The full article will soon be published on the Journal of Neurotrauma’s website: http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/neu/0/jai. Again, thank you for your service and thank you to the many military service and veteran service organizations, non-profit foundations, and private citizens who contributed the funds to complete this study.”

• Dr. Harch and staff.