Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy program at Northwest Hospital earns prestigious accreditation

The hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) program at the Center for Wound Care at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, Md., recently earned accreditation from the influential Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Fewer than 100 programs in the United States have achieved this designation.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a specialized medical treatment inside a pressurized chamber, in which a patient breathes 100 percent oxygen at greater than normal atmospheric pressure. Modern hyperbaric therapy is highly successful in healing stubborn wounds.

Northwest Hospital uses HBOT to treat non-healing diabetic ulcers, osteomyelitis, post-radiation complications and compromised skin flaps, among other things. In addition, the oxygen, which is delivered into the bloodstream, helps fight certain infections, and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, which generally improves circulation.

Patients receiving HBOT can see dramatic results as early as two weeks from the start of treatment. “Another benefit is that this therapy is noninvasive,” adds Alan S. Davis, M.D., F.A.C.S., director of the Center for Wound Care and HBOT at Northwest Hospital. “If standard wound therapies prove to be inadequate within a certain time frame, HBOT should be considered and can be done at the same time patients are receiving other treatment.”

To earn accreditation from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, clinical hyperbaric facilities must demonstrate an ongoing, first-rate commitment to patient care and facility safety. The organization sends a team of experts to each center to examine staffing, training, equipment installation, operation, maintenance and standards of care. Participation in this accreditation program is voluntary.

The Center for Wound Care at Northwest Hospital opened in 1995, and HBOT was added in 2005. Treating physicians, technicians and nurses are all educated in the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.