Hyperbaric Pre-Treatment Safety Stops by Ryan Kelley, CHS, HC-S

I'd like to share an article that applies to all professionals in the field of hyperbaric medicine, including new, aspiring chamber operators. This article is designed to provide a helpful overview and to alleviate fears or apprehensions that may arise during your new journey into the amazing field of hyperbaric oxygen treatments.

Let's get right into the what, where, why, and how of pretreatment safety stops.

#1 Background Information
First, let's start with some background information. According to the UHMS, the society recommends that each hyperbaric facility and institution develop and implement a safety timeout protocol. This protocol should use a verification tool to establish the "right" patient at the "right" treatment protocol, etc. The safety stop should include checking the patient's ground (monoplace chambers) and ensuring that all items are removed from the chambers in both monoplace and multiplace.

#2 The When and Why of Safety Stops
Now, the "when" and "why" should safety stops should take place? Safety stops are designed to stop any type of complacency. These stops should be implemented during every single treatment, i.e., every time you operate your chambers. Getting into a routine of checking your patients and knowing your patients' tendencies will help reduce the risk of safety mishaps. In my experience, patients are forgetful at times. Often, they forget they're coming to a hyperbaric treatment altogether. They may don a full face of makeup or spray half a bottle of cologne before arriving at the hyperbaric suite. To make sure these substances DO NOT end up in your chambers, a pretreatment safety stop would be an excellent idea. (If they do show up like this - give them soap and water and let them scrub that stuff away!) All joking aside, the orientation and information that patients receive before treatment, and the consents they sign might be forgotten. Advocate for your patient, yourself, and your facility. Consistently keep a lookout for anything that doesn't belong in your chambers.

#3 How to Implement a Safety Stop
Now we can mosey on to the "how" a safety stop should be implemented. You'll need to start by verifying that you have the correct patient. Depending on the facility, this is usually a printout with their name, date of birth, etc. Next, give the patient hyperbaric-appropriate clothing, i.e., gowns or scrubs that are 100% cotton. Then, pull out your pretreatment checklist and ask your patient if they are wearing any lotions, perfumes, or anything that smells good. Don't forget to ask about their undergarments! Also, many things could have happened between their last treatment and now. Always ask the patient if there's any new, relevant information that you need to be aware of since their previous treatment. As the first line of defense for a provider or doctor, always check the patient's ears for any signs of barotrauma. In my practice, if everything checks out, then I get the provider to see the patient before we do the grounding. Grounding is done by putting a grounding strap firm, but comfortably, around the patient's wrist. Next, snap the grounding cord to the strap. Then, plug the cord into the ground tester to ensure you have a proper ground before plugging into your chamber. Then, slide the patient into the chamber.
In conclusion, there's a great deal that goes into our profession and continuing your education and training in the field is critical to keep your knowledge, skills, and competence sharp. Streamlining protocols that keep our patients safe should be everyone's priority when they step into a hyperbaric suite. Hyperbaric safety is the most important thing we do, and an implementing a pretreatment safety-stop protocol is just one of the many ways we can make our profession safer.

Continue your education in the field of hyperbaric medicine with the Hyperbaric Certified - Safety certificate of added qualification. Find more details and enrollment here https://gethcc.com/certifications/hyperbaric-certified-safety-hc-s.html

Source Reference: This article was first published by the Hyperbaric Certification Commission HCC. It is republished here with permission from the HCC.