LIBERTY, Mo. (July 18, 2008) — The Hyperbaric Services Department at Liberty Hospital is adding a second hyperbaric oxygen chamber to the unit, which will be available for patient use on July 25. The new addition will allow the department to treat up to six patients a day, doubling the department’s current capacity. The second chamber, a Sigma 34 model manufactured by Perry Baromedical, will join the Sigma Plus already in service.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilitates the body’s normal healing through administration of high-dose oxygen, pressurized in a single-person chamber. This process can help reduce swelling, remove excess nitrogen from the blood, increase capillary growth, increase the effectiveness of certain antibiotics, reduce scar tissue, and much more. Typical hyperbaric patients suffer from decompression illness (the “bends”), carbon monoxide poisoning, radiation tissue effects, crush injuries and diabetes-related wounds.
“This second chamber improves our availability to the community,” said Anthony Johnston, hyperbaric services coordinator. “The need for this service is growing, and we’re excited to be able grow with it and help even more patients.”
During a treatment, patients lie inside a clear, acrylic chamber, which is sealed and pressurized. Patients are able to drink fluids, watch movies or listen to music during the approximately two-hour treatments.
Liberty Hospital is a 245-bed regional medical center serving Clay and Platte counties as well as the northwest Missouri corridor. Founded in 1974, Liberty Hospital is a public, non-profit hospital, created for the benefit of its community as a political subdivision district hospital under Chapter 206 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. It is governed by a six-member, publicly elected board of trustees who serve six-year terms. More than 1,600 employees and 350 physicians deliver compassionate, exceptional care using the latest technology and a full range of services. For more information, visit www.libertyhospital.org or call 816-792-7000.
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