A Cautionary Note on Portable Hyperbaric Chambers or “Mild Hyperbaric Therapy”
Portable hyperbaric chambers should not be compared to or confused with Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). HBOT by definition provides 100% oxygen at increased pressure to saturate all the tissues of the body. The inflatable bags used in “mild” hyperbaric therapy use only compressed air or air with minimal increased levels of oxygen and do not provide 100% pure medical oxygen.
Portable hyperbaric chambers are only capable of treating at a maximum of 1.3 ATA. Established treatment guidelines begin at 1.5 ATA or deeper depending on the indication and the portable chambers are not capable of reaching these depths.
In addition these devices are not Health Canada approved and do not meet the requirements for Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy (PVHO) certifications. Patients should receive hyperbaric oxygen treatments from a trained professional in a certified facility to ensure safety and efficacy of the treatment.
