How does HBOT promote healing in thermal burns?

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) promotes healing in thermal burns primarily by increasing the amount of oxygen available to the tissues and stimulating collagen formation. When a patient is placed in a hyperbaric chamber, they breathe 100% oxygen at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure. This allows for significantly higher levels of oxygen to dissolve in the blood plasma, which can enhance oxygen delivery to damaged tissues.

The increased oxygen supply not only helps to reverse hypoxia in tissues that are compromised due to burns but also plays a crucial role in various cellular functions essential for wound healing. Oxygen is vital for the body’s ability to promote angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, and supports the synthesis of collagen—a major component of the extracellular matrix critical for tissue repair.

Additionally, HBOT has been shown to reduce tissue swelling and inflammation, but its primary mechanism in the context of thermal burns focuses on enhancing oxygen delivery and promoting the healing processes associated with collagen formation and tissue regeneration. Therefore, combining these effects, HBOT can lead to improved outcomes in the management of thermal injuries by facilitating healing and recovery.