Riverview Health Chosen For Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Study To Help Veterans

(Photo courtesy of Riverview Health)
The hyperbaric oxygen chamber at Riverview Health

Riverview Health Wound Care has been chosen to partner with Indiana Department of Health and Purdue University to participate in a new program to study hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans.

During HBOT, patients lie down in a clear acrylic chamber allowing staff to monitor throughout the entire process. This type of therapy works by surrounding the person with 100 percent oxygen at higher-than-normal atmospheric pressure. This increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, allowing red blood cells to pass more easily through the plasma to help heal a wound from the inside out. HBOT greatly increases the rate of healing tissue and salvages limbs that otherwise, may have been lost.

“We’re very excited to be a part of a program that is researching the growing benefits of HBOT,” said Crystal Whisler, senior program director of Riverview Health Wound Care. “We constantly see success stories with our patients who are treated with HBOT for chronic and non-healing wounds, so expanding our reach to now help veterans who are suffering from traumatic brain injuries or PTSD will be that much more rewarding for us and a great way to give back to the community.”

Veterans with chronic TBI and PTSD can experience physical and emotional symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, depression, and anxiety, that can significantly disrupt their quality of life. The research being conducted aims to provide medical research showing how HBOT can reduce or eliminate these symptoms.

Riverview Health Wound Care was the first in Hamilton County to offer HBOT. The research study began in January 2022 and will go through June 2023. Participants must be a veteran, have a physician’s referral and be pre-screened by Purdue University before beginning the program. For any questions, please contact Riverview Health Wound Care at 317.776.7407.

About Riverview Health Riverview Health is comprised of a full-service, 156-bed hospital in Noblesville, a 16-bed hospital in Westfield, as well as three freestanding combined ER and urgent care facilities. Also included are more than 25 primary, immediate and specialty-care facilities in Hamilton County. Riverview Health provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services in more than 35 healthcare specialties and has been frequently recognized for its clinical and service excellence. National achievements include Healthgrades 5-star rating (2020) for total knee replacement and spinal fusion and Newsweek magazine annual rankings as a top acute inpatient rehabilitation unit in the state of Indiana (2021). Riverview Health was also recognized by the Indiana Hospital Association for its infant and maternal health with the INspire Hospital of Distinction award two years in a row (2020, 2021). For more information on Riverview Health, visit riverview.org.