Conditions Treated |
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Guided by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) standards, procedures and approved indications,* HyOx Medical Treatment Center administers hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other medical and rehabilitation services to patients with conditions on the approved conditions list below. Medicare, Medicaid and other third party payers rely upon the list in establishing medical review policies for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Acute Ischemias
Conditions having a rapid onset followed by a short and severe course which cause a decrease in the blood supply to a bodily organ, tissue, or part by the constriction or obstruction of the blood vessels.
- Poor circulation (Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency)
- Crush injury, compartment syndrome
- Brown Recluse spider bites
- Air or Gas Embolism
- Exceptional blood loss
Chronic Ischemias
Conditions having a long duration or frequent recurrence rate which cause a decrease in the blood supply to a bodily organ, tissue, or part by the constriction or obstruction of the blood vessels.
Delayed Radiation Tissue Injuries
Conditions resulting from radiation therapy affecting normal, non-cancerous cells including blood vessel, muscle and nerve cells. Much of the oxygen content in the radiated tissue is lost making it difficult for the wounds to heal.
- Osteoradionecrosis
- Soft-tissue radionecrosis
- Head and neck cancers (prophylactic pre- and post-treatment for patients undergoing dental surgery of a radiated jaw)
Infections
- Bone infection (chronic refractory osteomyelitis)
- Gas gangrene (clostridial myositis and myonecrosis)
- “Flesh-Eating Disease” (necrotizing fasciitis)
- Intracranial abscess
- “Lumpy Jaw” (refractory actinomycosis and other mycoses)
Additional Uses
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- “The Bends” (Decompression Illness)
- Thermal burns
*Composite list of conditions approved by UHMS, Medicare and major health plans. As with all procedures, insurance benefits are determined by the health plan’s hyperbaric oxygen therapy policy and the patient’s specific health benefits.
Potentially Therapeutic “Off-Label” Uses
In many instances, patients with conditions not on the “approved” list have been reported to benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
As additional research studies are completed, it seems likely new conditions will be added to the list of approved indications. Until then, the use of hyperbaric oxygen for an indication not on the approved list must be considered an “off-label” use of the therapy.
HyOx and its medical staff adhere to guidelines established by the UHMS Ethics Task Force concerning the potentially therapeutic, off-label use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.