Treatment for divers and wound care
Mariners has the only hospital-based hyperbaric chamber in the Florida Keys. Mariners uses hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat a variety of patients:
• Divers suffering from decompression illness or "the bends"
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Gas gangrene (an infection that thrives in an oxygen-poor environment)
• Bone infections
• Wounds (John, please link to our wound recovery page) that won't heal (particularly wounds caused by diabetes) (John, please link to our diabetes page)
• Radiation tissue damage
• Gas embolisms (air bubbles that block the flow of blood in the arteries).
Benefits from hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Doctors in the Hyperbaric Medicine Department at Mariners Hospital use hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat many illnesses or injuries. During this therapy, patients breathe 100 percent oxygen in a high-pressure environment. Depending on the reason for treatment, hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides one or more of the following benefits:
• Increased oxygen to the injured tissue
• Better formation of blood vessels
• Advanced wound healing
• Improved infection control
• Preservation of damaged tissue
• Elimination of toxic substances
• Reduced effects of toxic substances
• Reduction or elimination of tissue obstruction caused by gas bubbles.
The hyperbaric oxygen chamber is a large cylinder with clear acrylic viewports, comfortable seating and standing room. You can relax, sleep, watch TV or talk with your hyperbaric therapist during treatment. Comfortable, cotton clothing is provided during therapy.
Additional information: 305-434-1603.