What Researchers Did
Researchers reported a 20-year experience (1985-2004) using the U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6 (TT6) in an oxygen-filled monoplace hyperbaric chamber at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT.
What They Found
The study treated 90 patients, including 72 divers with decompression sickness or arterial gas embolism, administering a total of 118 U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6 (TT6) schedules. Researchers found that 94% of the TT6 schedules were tolerated and completed, with intolerance primarily due to oxygen toxicity (4 cases) and claustrophobia (3 cases).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients requiring hyperbaric oxygen therapy for conditions like decompression sickness or arterial gas embolism can expect the U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6 protocol to be generally well-tolerated. This suggests that monoplace hyperbaric chambers can effectively deliver this treatment, though tolerance might be slightly lower than in multiplace settings.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in the U.S. and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation is that the observed tolerance in monoplace chambers may not be as high as in multiplace chambers, as suggested by comparisons to other facilities.