A hyperbaric chamber is necessary to adjust the ambient pressure required for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. At normal sea level pressure, breathing 100 percent oxygen will not achieve healing results. Penn's state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers allow us to safely and effectively deliver 100 percent oxygen at increased pressures.
Penn's Multiplace Chamber
Our hyperbaric chambers operate 24-hours-a-day and multiple patients can be treated at the same time. Penn hyperbaric medicine has one of only a few multiplace chambers in the country and the first one in the tri-state area. Patients can sit upright or recline comfortably while reading or watching a movie. If necessary, the chamber can also accommodate several patients on stretchers.
A nurse or paramedic trained in hyperbaric medicine remains in the chamber with the patients at all times. This chamber attendant is in constant communication with the attending physician and chamber operator during the treatment.
The attending physician can "lock-in" to the chamber and be at the patient's side in less than one minute. Also, items such as medications and medical supplies can be passed in or out of the chamber, using a special compartment.
Advantages of a Multiplace Hyperbaric Medicine Chamber
A walk-in multiplace chamber helps dispel feelings of claustrophobia and isolation, often associated with monoplace (single patient) chambers. The entire room-sized chamber is compressed with air, not with oxygen, thus creating a much safer environment than smaller monoplace chambers.