Hyperbaric oxygen in the management of chronic wounds

This article reviews the role that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) plays in the field of wound healing. HBOT, although not seen as a common method of wound management in the UK, can perhaps offer another avenue to managing recalcitrant wounds. In order for the healing of chronic wounds to progress, the practitioner must address all the factors impeding the healing process, one of which is oxygenation. HBOT is thought to improve many aspects of poor healing by supplying high levels of oxygen at normal atmospheric pressure. It has been suggested that increasing the availability of oxygen does not necessarily stimulate the healing process, but that perhaps the pressure at which the oxygen is delivered is the responsible stimulus.