Xanit International Hospital

Introduction

The Hyperbaric Medicine Service is an hospital and clinical area fitted with the most advanced technical means and the most qualified specialist team.

It is a most exclusive service offered by a very few high-standard hospitals in Europe, which is meant to treat as much the medical emergencies (diving accidents, gas intoxications, gas gangrene, etc) as all kinds of chronic pathologies such as healing retardation (diabetic foot) and other lesions.

The very structure of our Service proves to be the most advanced of that existing on the Coast, since it acts as a reference centre for diving activities, both sports and professional ones, with all kinds of mandatory medical examinations for divers being carried out by our team.

The Service is permanently on medical alert and prepared to respond efficiently to any emergency that might arise. It can offer too the possibility to make use of a medicalized helicopter service to transport the injured patients, which is a most exclusive Service of our Hospital.

Our team is composed of 2 specialists in sub aquatic and hyperbaric medicine, of a nursing staff specialized in hyperbaric techniques and one submarine device and systems technician.

Our Hyperbaric Chamber is a multi-seated, last generation DRÄGER one, allowing us to gather up to 10 patients for one treatment session, and which is fitted with all the necessary control and comfort systems so as to carry out the treatments with the most absolute security and well being for our patients.

Professionals

Professionals:

• Dr. Manuel Pérez Delgado

 

A little history about...

Joseph Priestley discovered the oxygen in 1774.

In 1830, the three following French physicians: Jurnod (París), Tolaire (Montpellier) and Pravaz first used the oxygen as a therapeutic tool, promoting thus the building up of more than 50 Medical Hyperbaric Centers in Europe among which that of outstanding prestige funded by Bertini in Montpellier.

In 1878, Paul Bert wrote his “Barometric Pressure” work where he described most of today’s HBO usage together with all the possible effects of oxygen intoxication.

On the XX century, Dr. Cunningham built up in Cleveland the major Hyperbaric Chamber of the world -5 Floors high and 64 feet diameter large- where he said he could cure pathologies such as diabetes, syphilis and others.

Prof. Ite Boerema (from Ámsterdam) and Churchill (from London) ended simultaneously in 1960 their studies on therapeutic application of partial oxygen high pressures and published their book “Vida sin Sangre” where they underlined the components of such a metalloid gas in liquid body substances, most particularly in blood plasma.

 

What is Hyperbaric Oxigenotherapy about?

It is a medical treatment method consisting in giving 100% oxygen to a patient with a pressure oscilating between 1.5 and 3 atmospheres of absolute pressure. The oxygen is delivered by specially designed devices called Hyperbaric Chambers.

When oxygen and pressure are mixed up, some physical and physiological effects are produced which are used as therapeutical means.

The HBO is a vanguardist instrument mostly effective in pathology therapy (Advanced Technology).

It is a singular therapy and does not imply the exclusion neither the duplicity of means or medical treatments since it is always compatible with other therapeutical conventional means.

A Hyperbaric Chamber is an hermetically sealed pressure vessel build with stainless steel parts, and a cylindric shape most of the time fitted with special devices and systems allowing the pressure level to be controlled.

 

What's in a session?

Patient is introduced into the hyperbaric chamber which is being pressurized by injecting purified and pressurized air till the pressure previously established by an hyperbaric and subaquatic medical specialist is reached; pure oxygen is given to the patient for a certain exposure duration (isopresor) during a certain laps of time.

Sessions are usually prescribed once a day, though every pathology has its proper treatment which includes such parameters as: pressure, exposure time and number of sessions.

 

When do you need a OHB?

We usually classify the HBO indications in three categories:

• First Indications: Pathologies for which the HBO is the only efficient treatment or when it plays an essential part while combined with other therapeutical treatments such as:
  • The iatrogenic gas embolism.
  • The Descompression Sickness.
  • The Intrathoracic Hyperpressure Syndrome.
  • The gas gangrene.
  • The osteoradinecrosis.
  • The soft tissues radionecrosis.
• Complementary Indications: Pathologies for which the HBO is not essential neither compulsory, but where its benefits have been proved to be efficient by means of clinicaL and experimental trials: When patient healthcare has proved to be bettered, the hospitalization duration has been shortened and patient quality of life improved for:
  • Necrotizing infections of non clostridial soft tissues.
  • Severe traumatisms of soft tissues.
  • Repetitive Chronic Osteomyelitis.
  • Skin cicatrization problems (diabetic foot).
  • High risk skin grafts.
  • Sudden deafness.
• Experimental Indications: Pathologies for which the HBO use is being accepted due to its effects for some pathological aspect, based on sufficient therapeutical hypothesis. With control systems and evaluation of defined and applicable results or either comprised in controlled trials for:
  • The severe occlusive retinopathies.
  • The ischemic hypoxic encephalopathies.
  • The multiple esclerosis.
  • Crohn’s disease.
  • The CNH and CI4Ca intoxications.
  • The severe anemias with no possible transfusion treatment.
  • The mucormycosis
  • The Ileus.