What Researchers Did
Researchers surveyed all 15 hyperbaric medicine units in Australia and New Zealand about how they handle cardiac arrest during HBOT, including their defibrillation equipment, emergency protocols, and training drills.
What They Found
Fourteen of 15 units (93%) responded. No cases of in-chamber cardiac arrest requiring defibrillation had ever been reported in Australasia. Only 43% of units conduct regular cardiac arrest training drills. While 79% of respondents wanted standardized emergency protocols across all units, most felt it would be difficult to achieve in practice.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Cardiac arrest during HBOT is extremely rare, but the finding that fewer than half of surveyed units do regular drills raises safety concerns. Canadian hyperbaric facilities should have clear emergency protocols and regular staff training for this rare but life-threatening scenario, particularly since standard defibrillators with lithium batteries pose fire risks in oxygen-rich hyperbaric chambers.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified, though the safety and regulatory findings are directly applicable to Canadian hyperbaric facilities.
Study Limitations
The survey covers only Australasian units; Canadian hyperbaric units may have different protocols, regulations, and equipment standards that would require a separate survey.