Wilford Hall opens new Air Force hyperbaric therapy facility Published March 25, 2008 By Senior Airman Erin M. Peterson 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- The primary hyperbaric capability in the Air Force was relocated March 21 from Brooks City-Base, Texas, to the Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Hyperbaric chambers are used to perform hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which supplies a surplus of oxygen to the tissues, helping wounds heal and white blood cells fight infection. Breathing high concentrations of pure oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure can remove excess nitrogen and carbon monoxide from the body. Air Force officials have used hyperbaric oxygen therapy for more than 30 years. Originally, the therapy was used to treat aviators and aircrew trainees who suffered decompression sickness. Presently, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat not only decompression sickness, but also carbon monoxide poisoning, problem wounds such as nonhealing ulcers and compromised skin grafts, radiation soft tissue damage, chronic infections and burns. Wilford Hall Medical Center officials purchased two new hyperbaric chambers and began hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the hospital March 24. The new department is staffed with physicians who are board-certified in hyperbaric medicine, fellows, nurses, technologists and maintenance technicians. Each is trained in the administration of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Other 59th Medical Wing providers who specialize in areas such as plastic surgery, radiation therapy and oncology, also work with hyperbaric medicine providing patient therapy. The new department has a multiplace and a monoplace chamber. The multiplace chamber holds up to six patients, is filled with ambient air and is pressurized to 2.5 to six times sea level. The patients breathe 100 percent oxygen under a clear plastic hood. The monoplace chamber holds a single patient, is filled with 100 percent oxygen and pressurized to 2.5 to three times sea level. "The multiplace chamber allows for the effective treatment of many patients simultaneously, while optimizing the efficiency of our staff," said Senior Master Sgt. Darryl Swartz, superintendent of the hospital's new Hyperbaric Medicine Division. "This larger chamber allows for the treatment of more acute and critical patients requiring constant hands-on care. The monoplace chamber is often used for treating otherwise healthy and stable patients requiring treatment for only decompression sickness." "When Brooks City-Base was placed on the Base Realignment and Closure list, the Air Force needed to decide where to relocate the Air Force's primary hyperbaric capability," said Col. Timothy Hursh, chief of the Hyperbaric Medicine Division. "While the Air Force has other large chambers at Travis AFB, Calif., and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the birthplace of hyperbaric medicine in the Air Force was in San Antonio. Since there is such a large active duty and retiree population here, it only made sense to relocate to Wilford Hall." Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page