Infections

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) is used as adjunctive treatment to the following infections:

Bacterial

• Crepitant anaerobic cellulitis – necrotic soft tissue infection caused by both aerobic (E. culi, Klebsiella, Enterobacter andPseudomonas) and anaerobic Peptostreptococcus andBacteroides).
• Necrotizing fasciitis – skin necrosis with infection of the deep fascia and thrombosis of the vessels fullowing surgery or other trauma
• Progresive bacterial gangrene – chronic ulcer formation on the abdominal or thoracic wall developed after surgery at the site of drainage, around culostomy or ileostomy.
• Nonclostridial myonecrosis – soft tissue infection with invulvement of skin, muscle, subcutaneous tissue and fascia, particularly in conditions such as: Diabetes mellitus, perirectal abscess,obesity and cardio-renal disease.
• Fournier’s gangrene – perineal gangrene especially in people with diabetes and elderly as well as in trauma, local or systemic infections
• Gas gangrene – see Gas gangerene
• Pyoderma gangenosum – necrotic ulceration of the limbs and trunk mostly seen in ulcerative culitis, chulecystis, pyelonephritis(kidney infection) and other infection-prone (low immunity system) conditions.
• Purpura fulminans – acute and severe disorder of infancy with characteristics hemorrhagic lesions of the limbs that could rapidly turn into necrosis. Children are usually affected after Varicella,Scarlet fever, streptococcal tonsillitis or somethrombocytopenic disease.
• Actinomycosis – anaerobic infection of abdominal, pelvic, cervicofacial and thoracic area due to low oxygen level that predisposes fast growth of bacteria.

Viral

• Most viral infections have bacterial infections superimposed on them or vice versa.

Fungal

• Candida albincans
• Rhinocerebral Mucormycosis – fungal infection of lungs, brain, intestine and bone (maxilla, orbit and temporal bone) that occurs most commonly in immune–suppressed people with burns, diabetes and those who are on long-term corticosteroid therapy.