What therapeutic level of oxygen is typically delivered during HBOT?

In hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), the therapeutic level of oxygen delivered is typically 100% oxygen. The purpose of administering oxygen at this level is to significantly increase the amount of oxygen dissolved in the plasma, which enhances tissue oxygenation. This is particularly important in conditions like decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, and chronic non-healing wounds, where increased oxygen availability can promote healing, combat infection, and support cellular functions that are impaired due to reduced oxygen levels.

In HBOT, patients are placed in a hyperbaric chamber where the atmospheric pressure is increased, further enhancing the efficacy of the 100% oxygen. The high concentration and pressure combined help to drive oxygen into tissues more effectively than under normal atmospheric conditions, allowing for therapeutic benefits that are not achievable with lower concentrations of oxygen.

Other percentages, such as 50%, 75%, or 85%, do not provide the same level of oxygen saturation in the blood or the significant therapeutic effects associated with 100% oxygen at higher pressures utilized during HBOT. Thus, while those oxygen levels may serve other purposes in various medical treatments, they do not align with the standard practice for HBOT.