Clinic HBOT vs Bag Chambers
We are often asked questions about the home use inflatable chambers that have become popular in recent years. Are they the same as clinical HBOT? Are they effective? Are they safe? We have done our best to answer some of the more common questions below. As always, if you have any additional questions, please call or contact us.
Are Bag Chambers the Same as Hard-Shell Chambers?
- The FDA has required all bag chamber manufacturers limit the maximum working pressure of their chambers to 4psi (1.3ATA). Primarily because of safety concerns. Bag chambers have been labeled as mHBOT or mild hyperbaric chambers because of the minimal pressure used.
- The hard-shell acrylic chambers used in our Center are capable of reaching 30psi (3ATA) of pressure. Although most clinical protocols fall between 15-22psi.
- In Hyperbaric Medicine, Oxygen is the drug and pressure is the dose. The higher pressure in the hard-shelled chambers enable us to deliver much higher doses of oxygen. The high doses stimulate the physiological changes in the body that heal tissue and restore health.
Are Bag Chambers as Effective as Hard-Shell Chambers?
- The FDA has only approved bag chambers for treating Acute Mountain Sickness. They are not approved by the FDA to treat any other clinical condition indicated for HBOT. View our conditions page for a complete list of approved conditions.
- The vast majority of clinical research on HBOT has been done with hard-shelled chambers at depths of greater than 1.3ATA (4psi) and with 100% oxygen. Most of the benefits claimed by the bag chambers are using this same research without understanding the difference in tissue oxygen tension created by higher pressures. The oxygen tissue saturation in the bag chambers is often not adequate to stimulate physiological changes.
Are Bag Chambers Safe?
- Bag chambers are relatively safe to use at home with some basic training. Keep in mind however that according to their FDA-510K approval letter, they are not designed or approved for use with supplemental oxygen. It is very common to see patients using supplemental oxygen, usually via an oxygen concentrator. But a word of caution; The bag chambers were never designed to deliver 100% oxygen and most patients and operators using them at home are not trained on the risks and fire hazards of breathing oxygen under increased atmospheric pressures.
Bag chambers certainly have their place and with the correct training and instruction from a reputable company, they are safe for home use. They may be a useful adjunct for certain conditions and an alternative for patients in which location and logistics make treatment in a professional clinic impossible.
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