Wilford Hall opens new Air Force hyperbaric therapy facility
by Senior Airman Erin M. Peterson
59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
3/21/2008 - LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The primary hyperbaric capability in the Air Force was recently relocated from Brooks City-Base, Texas, to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Wilford Hall Medical Center March 21.
Hyperbaric chambers are used to perform hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which supplies a surplus of oxygen to the tissues, helping wounds heal and white blood cells fight infection. Breathing high concentrations of pure oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure can remove excess nitrogen and carbon monoxide from the body.
The U.S. Air Force has used hyperbaric oxygen therapy for more than 30 years. Originally, the therapy was utilized to treat aviators and aircrew trainees who suffered decompression sickness.
Presently, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat not only decompression sickness, but carbon monoxide poisoning, problem wounds such as non-healing ulcers and compromised skin grafts, radiation soft tissue damage, chronic infections and burns.
Wilford Hall Medical Center purchased two new hyperbaric chambers and began hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the hospital March 24. The new department is staffed with physicians who are board-certified in hyperbaric medicine, fellows, nurses, technologists and maintenance technicians. Each is trained in the administration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Other 59th Medical Wing providers who specialize in areas such as plastic surgery, radiation therapy and oncology, also work with hyperbaric medicine providing patient therapy.
The new department has a multiplace and a monoplace chamber. The multiplace chamber holds up to six patients, is filled with ambient air and is pressurized to 2.5 to 6 times sea level. The patients breathe 100 percent oxygen under a clear plastic hood.
The monoplace chamber holds a single patient, is filled with 100 percent oxygen and pressurized to 2.5 to 3.0 times sea level.
Senior Master Sgt. Darryl Swartz, superintendent of the hospital's new Hyperbaric Medicine Division, explains the purchase of two separate chambers.
"The multiplace chamber allows for the effective treatment of many patients simultaneously, while optimizing the efficiency of our staff," said Sergeant Swartz. "This larger chamber allows for the treatment of more acute and critical patients requiring constant hands-on care. The monoplace chamber is often used for treating otherwise healthy and stable patients requiring treatment for only decompression sickness."
Col. Timothy Hursh, chief of the Hyperbaric Medicine Division, explains the decision to move hyperbaric functions from Brooks City-Base to Lackland.
"When Brooks City-Base was placed on the Base Realignment and Closure list, the Air Force needed to decide where to relocate the Air Force's primary hyperbaric capability," said Colonel Hursh. "While the Air Force has other large chambers at Travis AFB, Calif., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the birthplace of hyperbaric medicine in the Air Force was here in San Antonio. Since there is such a large active duty and retiree population here, it only made sense to relocate to Wilford Hall."
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