What Researchers Did
Researchers tested whether hyperbaric chamber attendants breathing nitrox (an oxygen-air mix) could safely stay in the chamber longer without needing to decompress and exit early during treatment.
What They Found
This feasibility study documented 88 nitrox-breathing sessions (called HOPAN) involving 59 attendants who assisted 30 patients, with session lengths ranging from 55 to 167 minutes (median 140 minutes) at 2.8 ATA. Of 59 attendants, 31 completed a survey and rated comfort with the nitrox protocol as equal to the standard local protocol. Attendants reported minor symptoms like paresthesias and severe symptoms like joint pain with the standard protocol, but only one mild joint pain event occurred with the nitrox protocol. No complications were documented among attendants or patients.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study is about protecting the health and comfort of hyperbaric chamber attendants, not about patient outcomes. The abstract suggests the nitrox protocol could allow flexible treatment sessions up to 200 minutes at 2.8 ATA within no-decompression limits, which may help support future studies on hyperbaric oxygen treatment dosage. The study does not report or measure any change in patient outcomes.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This was a small, non-randomized feasibility study with a low survey response rate (31 of 59 attendants), so its findings on attendant safety and comfort cannot be generalized broadly.