UNT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER OFFERS HYPERBARIC TREATMENT OPTION FOR TARRANT COUNTY RESIDENTS
The University of North Texas Health Science Center has recently reopened its Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic, which was located at the Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas until the hospital’s October 8 closing. The clinic offers the only hyperbaric chamber in Tarrant County. Patients with skin lesions or wounds as a result of diabetes or other ailments may find help in healing with hyperbaric treatment. The treatment is conducted in a long cylindrical chamber—a hyperbaric chamber—where patients are exposed to 100 percent oxygen.
The treatment, which usually lasts about 90 minutes, increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and decreases the amount of other harmful gases, such as nitrogen or carbon monoxide. This in turn increases the amount of oxygen delivered by the blood to the infected area. The high level of oxygen prevents further tissue death and aids in the healing of the wound.
Wounds that go untreated may fester, causing gangrene and possibly amputation.
Hyperbaric treatment may also be used for other conditions such as carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness and burns.
The hyperbaric chamber, located in the Patient Care Center on the health science center campus in Fort Worth, is available for patients through physician referral. Call 817-735-3300 for more information.
###
Contact: Becky Purvis, bpurvis@hsc.unt.edu, 817-735-5152, pager: 817-216-0345 or 8172160345@archwireless.net
If you are with the media and need additional information or would like to arrange an interview, please contact the Office of Marketing and Communications at 817-735-2446.
