Finding Hyperbaric Chamber Training Courses

By Janine Hughes


Divers have used recompression chambers for many years but it was only in the early 1960s that researchers became aware that these chambers could be used for patients suffering from various health problems. Pure oxygen breathed in at a pressure greater than the normal atmospheric pressure was found to accelerate healing. These chambers are now found in a number of hospitals and elsewhere where they are used to treat certain health problems. Hyperbaric chamber training courses have been developed to train physicians, nurses, technicians and other allied health care professionals.

Chambers are situated at a number of hospitals and other treatment centers. Some chambers are designed to accommodate a number of patients at the same time. They have two compartments that decompress and compress independently, allowing a multidisciplinary team to go into and out of the chamber without affecting the treatment of the patients. Each person is provided with oxygen via an individualized delivery system. Other chambers are designed to treat only one patient at a time.

Many different problems have been found to improve with this type of treatment. Serious infections, bubbles of air in blood vessels, wounds that will not heal, carbon monoxide poisoning and thermal burns are just some of the problems that can be treated. Treatment protocols establish the optimum amount of time and dosage required for a specific problem.

A variety of courses are available, some associated with a particular hospital and others with organizations connected with promoting this type of therapy. It is vitally important to choose a course that is suitably accredited and formulated by those with the right credentials and experience. Cost, length and course content will obviously also play a part in making a decision as to which course to do.

Many health care professionals choose to update their skills with online courses today. The online courses offered are often excellent quality and the most up-to-date information and tools are available. Online forums and discussion groups put students in touch with one another. Plenty of help is usually available from instructors too.

Topics covered in the most basic courses will be those such as the workings of chambers, oxygen toxicity as well as contraindications and side effects. Some time should be spent focused on patient care and treatment for specific conditions. Most courses are well structured with a good balance between theory and the practical application. Assessment is often continuous rather than consisting of one exam.

The type of content covered and the length of a course usually depends on the students it is designed for. Those with much prior experience in medicine will be able to do a basic course easily and progress on to more complex aspects. Physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and others will all be learning at different levels and towards different goals. Certificates are issued on completion of most of the courses.

Patients need to feel confident that they are in the hands of a trained and certified team. Trained physicians are able to prescribe oxygen dosage and a course of therapy according to the diagnosis. Such treatment provides a valuable and unique therapy for certain medical conditions and is often used in conjunction with other surgical or medical treatments, particularly when they have been unsuccessful.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment