Hyperbaric Medicine Fundamentals Flashcards

At sea level (1 ATA), a rigid container holds 10 L of gas. If pressure is increased to 3 ATA, what is the new volume (Boyle's Law)?

Answer: 3.3 L

P1V1 = P2V2 → (1)(10) = (3)(V2) → V2 = 10/3 ≈ 3.3 L.

Which wound type has the strongest FDA-cleared and clinical evidence supporting adjunctive HBO therapy?

Answer: Wagner grade 3-4 diabetic foot ulcers

Wagner grade 3–4 diabetic foot ulcers are among the best-documented HBO indications with demonstrated limb-salvage benefit.

Which gas law is most directly applied when calculating the total pressure of a gas mixture in a hyperbaric chamber?

Answer: Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures

Dalton's Law states total pressure equals the sum of individual partial pressures of all gases in the mixture.

A patient reports ear pain and inability to equalize during chamber compression. The correct technician response is to:

Answer: Halt compression, allow slight decompression, and coach equalization techniques

Stopping and allowing slight decompression gives the middle ear time to equalize, preventing barotrauma to the tympanic membrane.

Which biochemical mechanism explains HBO's role in enhancing leukocyte killing of bacteria in hypoxic tissues?

Answer: HBO restores the oxygen-dependent oxidative burst of neutrophils

Neutrophils require adequate PO2 to generate reactive oxygen species for bacterial killing; HBO restores this function in hypoxic wounds.

What is the typical treatment pressure (ATA) used for most wound-healing and adjunctive HBO indications?

Answer: 2.0–2.4 ATA

Most chronic wound and adjunctive HBO protocols use 2.0–2.4 ATA to maximize tissue O2 while minimizing toxicity risk.

Which condition describes gas bubbles forming in venous blood from nitrogen supersaturation after rapid ascent?

Answer: Type I decompression sickness

Type I DCS involves musculoskeletal and lymphatic manifestations from nitrogen bubble formation in venous blood and tissues.