Methods for preventing middle ear barotrauma in computer-controlled pressurization of monoplace hyperbaric chambers.

Methods for preventing middle ear barotrauma in computer-controlled pressurization of monoplace hyperbaric chambers. Undersea Hyperb Med. 2019 Mar-Apr-May;46:107-116 Authors: Hwang L, Song M, Lee Y, Shin TM Abstract Middle ear barotrauma (MEB), one of the side effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy, sometimes cannot be directly diagnosed during the therapy itself. Instead, its incidence and degree are judged based on subjective statements made by patients when in conversation with medical staff regarding how they feel. To prevent MEB in practice, it is proposed that the tympanic membrane evaluation system and automatic control chamber developed in a previous study be applied as part of a prevention algorithm [16]. The proposed algorithm, which determines and equalizes the unbalanced pressure of a subject based on their tympanic admittance, was evaluated in conjunction with conventional HBO2 therapy in an experiment involving 100 subjects. Among the 50 subjects in the control group who received HBO2 therapy 16 subjects experienced MEB. In contrast, the experimental group of 50 subjects were treated with a hyperbaric chamber protocol incorporating the automatic control system and proposed algorithm. At the conclusion of the treatment, no subjects exhibited middle ear barotrauma. In the case of the control group, while the target pressure was achieved, middle ear barotrauma still occurred. However, in the case of the experimental g...
Source: Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Tags: Undersea Hyperb Med Source Type: research