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Keelung hospital debuts Taiwan's largest hyperbaric oxygen chamber03/10/2010 (CNA) The first hyperbaric oxygen chamber with a 14-person capacity became operational at the Keelung branch of Tri-Service General Hospital Wednesday.This means that the hospital in the northern city now has the largest hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) facility in Taiwan, with a capacity to treat 28 patients at a time, the hospital said. Feng Chun-che, deputy director of the hospital's Keelung branch, said that the multiple chamber is the only one in Taiwan that is equipped with a ventilator and a physiologic monitor and can be used for intubated patients. "It can save precious time in the treatment of critically ill patients because the chamber can actually function as an intensive care unit," said Feng. In the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning patients, it may take only 20 minutes for dissociation of carbon monoxide, compared to five hours with regular oxygen, Feng added. A hyperbaric oxygen chamber is a sealed enclosure, into which oxygen is pumped under a controlled amount of pressure. When a patient is in the chamber, the increased pressure causes the blood plasma and other liquids of the body to absorb much larger quantities of oxygen, greatly increasing oxygen uptake by the cells, tissues, glands, organs, brain, and all fluids of the body. This additional oxygen helps in the healing process and enhances the white blood cells' ability to fight infection. HBOT is found to be effective in cases of diabetic ulcers, severe acute blood loss and decompression sickness, according to the hospital. In addition to the new multiple chamber which costs NT$23 million, the hospital has a 12-person and two single-person chambers. This story has been viewed 87 times. |
