Hyperbaric Medicine is a specialized medical therapy based on the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). The treatment involves having the patient breathe 100% pure oxygen (or hyperoxic gas mixtures) inside a hyperbaric chamber, an environment specifically designed and pressurized to a pressure higher than normal atmospheric pressure (typically between 2 and 3 absolute atmospheres – ATA). This process significantly increases the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood plasma, allowing it to reach tissues with poor perfusion or damage, producing important therapeutic effects: powerful antibacterial action (especially against anaerobic bacteria), anti-edema and anti-inflammatory effects, stimulation of new blood vessel formation (neoangiogenesis), and acceleration of tissue repair processes (wound healing). HBOT is indicated for a variety of acute conditions (carbon monoxide poisoning, gas embolism, gas gangrene) and chronic conditions (diabetic or vascular skin ulcers, radiation injuries, refractory chronic osteomyelitis, sudden deafness).
