Management of Critically Ill Patients in the Monoplace Hyperbaric Chamber (Part 1)

In the past several years, there has been rapid growth in the number of clinical hyperbaric facilities, due in part to the availability of the monoplace, or single-person, hyperbaric chamber and the proliferation of outpatient wound care centers. Monoplace chambers are relatively inexpensive, require fewer personnel, and require less space to operate and maintain than multiplace (walk-in) chambers. Another advantage of the monoplace over the multiplace chamber is that attendants need not enter the hyperbaric chamber with the patient. However, some hyperbaric physicians express concerns about treating unstable or critically ill patients in the monoplace chamber, because of the lack of “hands-on” care during hyperbaric exposure, the lack of suitable equipment for optimal patient care, and the limitations of treatment pressures to 3 atmospheres absolute pressure (ATA). We have found that with a well-trained staff and the availability of appropriate equipment, critically ill patients can be treated safely in the monoplace chamber. We, and others, have presented monoplace chamber use in critically ill patients. Anyone who anticipates treating critically ill patients in a monoplace chamber should be familiar with this work.

Also, ground and air transport move critically ill patients frequently. The treatment of critically ill patients in the monoplace chamber, in many ways, is much easier and safer than the care of patients during transport, particularly air transport, with limited access to the patient, cramped spaces, high ambient noise conditions, and no access to personnel or equipment other than the transport team.

In future blog articles we'll be covering, "APPROACH TO THE CRITICALLY ILL PATIENT". 

Excerpted from Hyperbaric Medicine Practice 4th Edition with permission from the publisher. Reference Chapter 4, Management of Critically Ill Patients in the Monoplace Hyperbaric Chamber by Lindell K. Weaver.

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