Chamber side effects?

[michael-fisch]

Those O2 masks look like something from a vintage diving forum. My last 4 chamber rides, 5 years ago were using lightweight clear silicon masks. Clear lightweight masks have their advantages if your are barely concious, and if you lose your lunch the chamber nurse can see whats happening and react quickly. Also using a mask with the lower straps would have caused me a lot of extra pain in my jaw, especially after 8+ hours on a greatly extended Table 6.
It worked, and thank god the treating hyperbaric doctor had the nerve to greatly extend the O2 treatment times, otherwise I probably wouldn't be walking and diving today.
BTW, I was not dehydrated when I entered the chamber, ate almost nothing during the 3 days I was being treated but weighed 26.5lbs over my normal weight when they released me. Cause was damaged body cells expand and fill up quickly with fluids For 3 days my body was unable to produce urine and I was worried about renal failure even though I was (between the IVs and drinking) getting 6+ liters of fluids daily. Was finally able to pee on the 3rd day. 4-6 weeks later I was back to my normal weight.

Michael

 

[tc]

We see itchy spots once in a while after a treatment.

Think about the physics of the situation- very hot on descent, pores open up as you get sweaty.

On ascent it cools off- pores close and you get a small amount of gas trapping in/under the skin.

I know of at least two occurances where the problem was relieved by a hot shower.

Please note that this observation is based on VERY anecdotal evidence and not supported by any research at all

 

[Graeme Fraser]

Those O2 masks look like something from a vintage diving forum. My last 4 chamber rides, 5 years ago were using lightweight clear silicon masks. Clear lightweight masks have their advantages if your are barely concious, and if you lose your lunch the chamber nurse can see whats happening and react quickly. Also using a mask with the lower straps would have caused me a lot of extra pain in my jaw, especially after 8+ hours on a greatly extended Table 6.
It worked, and thank god the treating hyperbaric doctor had the nerve to greatly extend the O2 treatment times, otherwise I probably wouldn't be walking and diving today.
BTW, I was not dehydrated when I entered the chamber, ate almost nothing during the 3 days I was being treated but weighed 26.5lbs over my normal weight when they released me. Cause was damaged body cells expand and fill up quickly with fluids For 3 days my body was unable to produce urine and I was worried about renal failure even though I was (between the IVs and drinking) getting 6+ liters of fluids daily. Was finally able to pee on the 3rd day. 4-6 weeks later I was back to my normal weight.

Michael

The chamber was CAT1, so able to take all levels including ITU unresponsive patients on stretchers.

We were only on BIBS for about 10mins so it wasn't an issue for us. Before we went in they were providing hyperbaric therapy to a group of elderly patients (non-divers) who wore freeflowing hoods in the chamber.

A DCS case arrived after our ride who I'm pretty sure used the same BIBS, but he wasn't on table 6.

Either way, I was very impressed with the set-up and would highly recommend divers to make a planned visit. For me it took away some of the potential anxiety of "making the call" if I think I was suffering from a hit. The folks there were very friendly and informative and were at pains to say, if in doubt, phone them.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

We see itchy spots once in a while after a treatment.

Think about the physics of the situation- very hot on descent, pores open up as you get sweaty.

On ascent it cools off- pores close and you get a small amount of gas trapping in/under the skin.

I know of at least two occurances where the problem was relieved by a hot shower.

Please note that this observation is based on VERY anecdotal evidence and not supported by any research at all

That makes a lot of sense, even to a layman like me. Again, it certainly didn't worry me I was just intrigued by the physiological effect. It certainly got warm on descent, even at max 5ATA. Makes you realise how important it is to do a slow cylinder fill.

 

[iain/hsm]

Strangely though, both me and the chamber attendant had really itchy earlobes for about an hour afterwards.

It's an easy answer Graeme just one no one talks about.

But first as a light weight introduction Cleaning chemicals used in a generic “Chamber” is a big sub division
When you consider that a “chamber” can range from a transportable chamber to a deck DCC chamber to a saturation “Sat” chamber to a diving bell with over six different chemicals used for “cleaning”

Then you have the medical hyperbaric chambers.

Add to this those chambers classed as “Medical” chambers or Hyperbaric chambers vary depending where in the world you made your chamber “dive” you can come across many additional “odd ball” chemicals used for “cleaning” that vary from bleach through to Dichloromethane to Panacide dependent on what it is in or on the chamber that is being cleaned to where in the world you ended up.

Further chemicals used medical hyperbaric chambers used on the personal equipment such as the BIBS. again are different to those used on or in the chamber.

As for your itchy ears most would suggest you consider a shower more frequently, stop using hair spray as it’s a fire risk in the chamber and keep the grey hair as its a sign of standing. LOL

But joking aside consider this also very carefully. In a pure diving chamber environment the chamber contents before you were divers, fit heathy young men.

By contrast in your average medical hyperbaric chamber your pay to play “ Joy Ride ” that the sick man or woman ( or preferred gender pronoun) that was in the chamber before you was a medical patient and presents risks to you that you are not even remotely aware.

I have a saying for our personnel working in hyperbaric facilities if its a first trip in the form of a question and it goes like this:

Do you wash your hands after going to the toilet” (the reply is usually yes)

I go on to add now when you go to this (or that) medical hyperbaric chamber.

“Wash your Hands Before”.

And for the London chamber you were in the advice is no different.
The point as always I trust well made. Iain

 

[Graeme Fraser]

It's an easy answer Graeme just one no one talks about.

But first as a light weight introduction Cleaning chemicals used in a generic “Chamber” is a big sub division
When you consider that a “chamber” can range from a transportable chamber to a deck DCC chamber to a saturation “Sat” chamber to a diving bell with over six different chemicals used for “cleaning”

Then you have the medical hyperbaric chambers.

Add to this those chambers classed as “Medical” chambers or Hyperbaric chambers vary depending where in the world you made your chamber “dive” you can come across many additional “odd ball” chemicals used for “cleaning” that vary from bleach through to Dichloromethane to Panacide dependent on what it is in or on the chamber that is being cleaned to where in the world you ended up.

Further chemicals used medical hyperbaric chambers used on the personal equipment such as the BIBS. again are different to those used on or in the chamber.

As for your itchy ears most would suggest you consider a shower more frequently, stop using hair spray as it’s a fire risk in the chamber and keep the grey hair as its a sign of standing. LOL

But joking aside consider this also very carefully. In a diving chamber environment the chamber contents are fit heathy young men. By contrast in your average medical hyperbaric chamber your pay to play “ Joy Ride ” that the sick man or woman ( or preferred gender pronoun) that was in the chamber before you was a medical patient presents risks to you that you are not even remotely aware.

I have a saying for our personnel working in hyperbaric facilities if its a first trip in the form of a question and goes like this:

Do you wash your hands after going to the toilet” (the reply is usually yes)

I go on to add now when you go to this medical hyperbaric chamber.

“Wash your Hands Before”.

The point as always I trust well made. Iain

Hmmmm, food for thought! I'd like to think I'm quite a clean person and, fingers crossed, this will be my first and last visit.

Thanks to all for your contributions. Much appreciated. G

 

[iain/hsm]

Those O2 masks look like something from a vintage diving forum. My last 4 chamber rides, 5 years ago were using lightweight clear silicon masks. Clear lightweight masks have their advantages if your are barely concious, and if you lose your lunch the chamber nurse can see whats happening and react quickly. Also using a mask with the lower straps would have caused me a lot of extra pain in my jaw, especially after 8+ hours on a greatly extended Table 6.
It worked, and thank god the treating hyperbaric doctor had the nerve to greatly extend the O2 treatment times, otherwise I probably wouldn't be walking and diving today.
BTW, I was not dehydrated when I entered the chamber, ate almost nothing during the 3 days I was being treated but weighed 26.5lbs over my normal weight when they released me. Cause was damaged body cells expand and fill up quickly with fluids For 3 days my body was unable to produce urine and I was worried about renal failure even though I was (between the IVs and drinking) getting 6+ liters of fluids daily. Was finally able to pee on the 3rd day. 4-6 weeks later I was back to my normal weight.

Michael

Again Michael the detail is in the terms used "Diving" as opposed to "Medical"

The so called "vintage" BIBS masks in the photo were designed for diving personnel ie "Fit young men"
with provision for adding commumnications and for a "Deep BIBS" option using the addition or a negative bias
tracking regulator that allows the exhalation exhaust gas to "dump" overboard to be workable beyond the oxygen 60FSW range when using mixed gas at deeper than oxygen depths in commercial and offshore diving applications

Now for medical patients you have a choice of light grey or white together with the the light weight and clear options culminating in a product called a "Hood Tent" the equivalent of putting a clear transparent plastic bag over your head.

Beggers the question why when the majority of medical patients admitted for CO carbon monoxide poisioning
are the result of self inflicted suicide attempts. Why statistically it take on average four years of attempts.

By contrast Hood tents as other medical BIBS sytems are critical for patients undergoing treatment after facial cancer treatment Maxillofacial surgery as are the BIBS components designed specifically for endotracheal intubation.

To a diver its a chamber dive using a decompression chamber.
To the medical its a treatment of pressure using a hyperbaric chamber.

The chamber is a similar tool used for two different applications.

As for your chamber ride it beggers the question why you imply you had the BIBS on for 8+ hours. Most of us get to use them in 20 minute O2 stints with a 5 minute air break in between.
And at worse only for two one hour O2 stints with a 15 minute air break for the two hour 30 accent stage. Maybe a European thing.

In passing a general comment to tie up both ends so to speak.
For many years the Germans used to treat tinitus with hyperbaric oxygen "therapy" until it was found out to be a bogus treatment after which most of the private so called medical clinics closed down in Germany when the funding to treat was withdrawn, which incidently is where the London Whipps Cross Hyperbaric chamber in the OP photo got it's chamber second hand from.
Small world indeed separated by six degrees of separation . Iain

 

[michael-fisch]

8 hour chamber ride, at 18M 20/5 , above 12 or 15M it was O2 the whole way to the surface with 1 or 2 short breaks in order to drink fluids.
TT5 was O2 the whole way, and the 2 short HBOTs were also O2 the whole way.
Yes, I had the usual dry cough/shortness of breath for a couple of days after the chamber rides.
Michael