HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (HBOT) FOR TRAUMATIC INJURY

     OVERVIEW: TRAUMATIC INJURY

    Traumatic injury can be the result of single or repeated impact, abrasion, tearing, cutting, damaging pressure (crushing), or thermal, radiation, or chemical burns. The wounding may be the result of accident, although the same healing process is required for surgical patients. Surgery may result in controlled tissue damage, which the surgeon will carefully monitor to promote the quickest and most effective restoration of function and appearance.

    Although many traumatic injuries are characterized by visible wounds, bleeding, swelling, discoloration, and bodily deformity, this type of injury can also occur with no visible indication of injury. Many soldiers have suffered from the detonation of roadside bombs...some with no exterior wounds. In these cases, the softer tissues of the body respond to the percussive force at a different rate than the harder tissues--the most tragic occurrence being when the brain is driven against the immovable bone of the skull. Often, these soldiers do not immediately appear to be injured, but their subsequent confusion is a marker for the brain swelling that can ultimately lead to long-term damage.

    Civilian life does not guarantee escape from this type of injury. The high incidence of motor vehicle accidents, especially automobiles because they are so pervasive and motorcycles since their injuries are so devastating, are commonly recognized causes of traumatic injuries. Bicycles, horseback riding, and other sports-related accidents exact a toll that is not as recognized.

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