What Researchers Did
Engineers and clinicians at an Australian hospital modified a commercial ECMO (heart-lung bypass) machine to work safely inside a hyperbaric chamber, then used it during 13 HBOT sessions on a critically ill patient with a life-threatening invasive fungal infection.
What They Found
After modifying the power supply, the ECMO device operated safely at up to 243 kPa (approximately 2.4 ATA), with only minor flow variability (up to 180 mL or 10%). No bubbles or equipment failures were detected during pressurization or decompression phases. The patient remained stable and achieved oxygen targets throughout treatment.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This describes a single patient case at one center, and the ECMO modifications required specialized engineering expertise that may not be available at most Canadian hyperbaric facilities.