Monday, August 26, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

OXYGEN CHAMBER: Air of Optimism
Hyperbaric treatment not widely known, but is gaining credibility across country

By JOELLE BABULA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Three-year-old Cynthia Nelson spends four hours a week tucked in an acrylic tube that simulates an environment 16 feet below sea level.

Her damaged brain tissue is saturated with 100 percent oxygen and, according to her mother, the treatment has turned her from a limp "rag doll" to a wiggling, giggling little girl.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, although not a widely known treatment, is becoming increasingly mainstream as major hospitals across the country add oxygen chambers to their facilities.

The therapy has been used for decades on scuba divers stricken with decompression illness, also known as the bends. Research also suggests the therapy can be used to help heal burns, wounds, crush injuries and other damaged tissue. Some physicians use it for stroke patients, limb attachments and, in Cynthia's case, cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a type of brain damage usually caused from a lack of oxygen during birth. It can cause poor coordination, lack of muscle control, speech difficulties and impaired intelligence.

"Cynthia used to just lie down and watch cartoons all day with her hands fisted up and pulled tight against her body," Nelson said. "She also had very poor head control, and she couldn't sit up. Since the treatment, she grabs toys with her hands, she tries to feed herself, she can sit up, and she can take steps if you hold her hands."

The extra oxygen given during treatment promotes the growth of new blood vessels, can regenerate damaged tissues and helps the body fight infections, said Dr. John Thompson, medical director of Desert Hyperbarics. The treatment is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is recognized by the American Medical Association.

Several area hospitals either have a hyperbaric chamber or have plans to add one. Desert Hyperbarics is the only freestanding hyperbaric therapy facility in Las Vegas. The center opened in August 2001.

"The oxygen is helping Cynthia's brain function better," Thompson said. "She has gained greater motor control, her attention span is better and she's happier, more active and stronger."

Cynthia has had more than 170 sessions and will continue as long as there's progress, her mother said. The 90-minute sessions usually cost between $150 and $200 each but are covered under Nelson's insurance.

"I expect to have a walking and talking recovered child," Nelson said. "She might be 12 years old before we get there and she might have to rely on a walker a little bit, but I do think she'll be a regular 12-year-old someday."

The therapy is usually used with an overall medical treatment protocol. But it is considered experimental for a number of conditions, including cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Some professional sports teams have been using hyperbaric oxygen for years to hasten rehabilitation of injuries such as sprains and soft tissue damage.

Marvin Krasner, a 71-year-old diabetic, said the therapy has helped him. His doctor recommended the treatment after an infection in his foot wouldn't heal. Krasner says the treatments saved his leg.

"I was all set to have it amputated right below the knee," Krasner said last week. "Now, the infection has cleared up and it's 100 percent better."

Hyperbaric oxygen can also be used to help cancer patients recover from radiation treatment, said Dr. James Lovett, a surgeon and hyperbaric physician at University Medical Center.

"We have three to four patients every day at the UMC facility," Lovett said. "The treatment is really mainstream now."

According to Lovett, some side effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy include ear problems and ruptured areas of the lungs, usually when there is an underlying lung condition.

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