Crush Injury, Compartment Syndromes

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Acute traumatic peripheral ischemias

A crush injury occurs when a body part is crushed, smashed or trapped for a period of time. The crushing event injures the blood vessels in the area so that when the body part is freed and no longer crushed, there is not adequate blood flow for healing. Compartment syndrome happens when bones or muscles, contained in “compartments” divided by fibrous tissue, in the extremities are injured causing edema or swelling in a compartment. In severe cases, the blood vessels can collapse cutting off flow to the area and impairing healing.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment works to decrease swelling, provide oxygen to tissues with inadequate blood supply and build new blood vessels.