SUMMARY OF
INTERNATIONAL INDICATIONS FOR
HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY

(from Jain, K.K. (1989) Oxygen in Physiology and Medicine. Thomas, Springfield
--taken from U.S., Chinese, Japanese, and Russian HBO Committees)

  1. Decompression Sickness
  2. Air embolism
  3. Poisoning: carbon monoxide, cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon tetrachloride.
  4. Treatment of certain infections: gas gangrene, acute necrotizing fascitis, refractory mycoses, leprosy, osteomyelitis.
  5. Plastic and reconstructive surgery:
  6. Traumatology: crush injuries, compartment syndrome, soft tissue sports injuries
  7. Orthopedics: nonunion of fractures, bone grafts, osteoradionecrosis
  8. Peripheral vascular disease: shock, myocardial ischemia, aid to cardiac surgery, ischemic gangrene, ischemic leg pain
  9. Neurological: stroke, multiple sclerosis, migraine, cerebral edema, multi-infarct dementia, spinal cord injury and vascular diseases of the spinal cord, brain abscess, peripheral neuropathy, radiation myelitis, vegetative coma
  10. Hematology: sickle cell crises, severe blood loss anemia
  11. Ophthalmology: occlusion of central artery of retina
  12. Gastro-intestinal: gastric ulcer, necrotizing enteroscolitis, paralytic ileus, pneumotoides cystoides intestinalis, hepatitis
  13. For enhancement of radiosensitivity of malignant tumors
  14. Otorhinolaryngology: sudden deafness, acute acoustic trauma, labyrinthitis, Meniere's disease, malignant otitis externa (chronic infection)
  15. Lung diseases: lung abscess, pulmonary embolism (adjunct to surgery)
  16. Endocrine: diabetes
  17. Obstetrics: complicated pregnancy--diabetes, eclampsia, heart disease, placental hypoxia, fetal hypoxia, congenital heart disease of the neonate
  18. Asphyxiation: drowning, smoke inhalation
  19. Aid to rehabilitation: spastic hemiplegia of stroke, paraplegia, chronic myocardial insufficiency, peripheral vascular disease.
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