Northwest Hospital Introduces Hyperbaric Oxyg...( 100% Oxygen Environment ...),Health

100% Oxygen Environment Helps Heal Stubborn Wounds

SEATTLE, July 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Northwest Hospital & Medical Center today announced the installation of two new, state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen chambers and the launch of hyperbaric oxygen therapy services offered through the Northwest Hospital Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center.

Hyperbaric oxygen chambers create a 100% oxygen environment, which has been proven to help accelerate the healing of many types of wounds and soft tissue injuries. The new therapy represents a significant enhancement in the center's ability to treat patients with stubborn, non-healing wounds.

"Breathing 100% oxygen helps the body form new blood vessels, to serve areas that have been injured or may be affected by circulation disorders such as peripheral arterial insufficiency or diabetes," said Dr. Terence Quigley, chief of surgery at Northwest Hospital, and medical director of the Northwest Hospital Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center. "This hyper-oxygenation allows the body's natural, oxygen-dependent healing process to work more efficiently and can speed up the healing of wounds that have so far resisted conventional healing therapies."

The hyperbaric chambers at the Northwest Hospital Wound Care Center are clear, see-through, single-person chambers, about the size of a hospital bed. The specialized hyperbaric therapy team includes physicians, wound care nurses and technicians who have had hyperbaric training.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatments usually last from one-and-a-half to two hours, and are administered once or twice a day, five days a week. The number of treatments depends on the body's response. Patients can relax during treatment by watching TV or videos on a screen specially fitted to the chamber. Treatments require a referral from the patient's physician and are covere
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