Combined Hyperbaric Oxygen Partial Pressure at 1.4 Bar with Infrared Radiation: A Useful Tool To Improve Tissue Hypoxemia?

Abstract

Tissue hypoxia contributes to the pathogenesis of several acute and chronic diseases. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) and whole-body warming using low-temperature infrared technology (LIT) are techniques that might improve hypoxemia. Combining HBO and LIT as hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with low-temperature infrared radiation (HBOIR) might be an approach that results in positive synergistic effects on oxygenation. LIT increases blood flow and could reduce HBO-induced vasoconstriction, and hyperoxia could compensate for the increased metabolic oxygen requirements mediated by LIT. Both LIT and HBO increase the oxygen diffusion distance in the tissues. HBOIR at 0.5 bar has been shown to be safe and feasible. However, physiological responses and the safety of HBOIR at an increased oxygen (O2) partial pressure of 1.4 bar or 2.4 atmospheres absolute (ATA) still need to be determined. The hope is that should HBOIR at an increased oxygen partial pressure of 1.4 bar be safe, future studies to examine its efficacy in patients with clinical conditions, which include peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or wound healing disorders, will follow. The results of pilot studies have shown that HBOIR at an overload pressure is safe and well tolerated in healthy participants but can generate moderate cardiovascular changes and an increase in body temperature. From the findings of this pilot study, due to its potential synergistic effects, HBOIR could be a promising tool for the treatment of human diseases associated with hypoxemia.

The Influence of Combined Physical Therapy Procedures on Oxygen Partial Pressure in Tissues Surrounding Ulcer in Patients With Venous Leg Ulcers

“…In the study of Dünnwald et al, in which healthy volunteers have been exposed for 45 minutes, in a monoplace hyperbaric chamber, simultaneously to 100% oxygen with the pressure of 1.4 ATA, as well as radiation of infrared range, increase of oxygen partial pressure has been reported, among others in lower limb tissues. 31…”

“…In the study of Dünnwald et al, in which healthy volunteers have been exposed for 45 minutes, in a monoplace hyperbaric chamber, simultaneously to 100% oxygen with the pressure of 1.4 ATA, as well as radiation of infrared range, increase of oxygen partial pressure has been reported, among others in lower limb tissues. 31 Rollins et al demonstrated, on animal model of rats with experimental wounds, that during the cycle of 15 procedures of systemic oxygen hyperbaric therapy for 2 hours a day, after each procedure a statistically significant increase of oxygen partial pressure has been achieved in tissues surrounding the wound, in comparison with initial values, and with the values in control group not undergoing therapy. 32 In the study of Grolman et al, the application of systemic oxygen therapy with oxygen pressure of 2 to 2.5 ATA in patients with chronic nonhealing/hard-to-heal ulcers in the course of ischemic lesions in lower limbs resulted in increased values of oxygen partial pressure in the ulceration area.…”

Rationale for hyperbaric oxygen therapy in traumatic injury and wound care in small animal veterinary practice

“…Improved intracellular oxygen tension maintains mitochondrial and other cellular metabolic functions, which in turn helps maintain integrity of cell membranes and energydependent mechanisms. With HBOT, there is a reduction of the vasogenic and cellular fluid shifts that normally result in edema such as seen in crush injuries, compartmental syndromes, burns, reperfusion injury and reimplantation situations (Dünnwald et al 2018, Gasier et al 2018, Mihaljević et al 2018, Robins & Wyatt 2020. The benefits are the sum effects of vasoconstriction and subsequent tissue increase of NO.…”

“…With HBOT, there is a reduction of the vasogenic and cellular fluid shifts that normally result in edema such as seen in crush injuries, compartmental syndromes, burns, reperfusion injury and reimplantation situations (Dünnwald et al . 2018, Gasier et al . 2018, Mihaljević et al .…”