Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Test Hyperbaric Wound Healing 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Delayed radiation injury (soft tissue radionecrosis) responds to HBO2 primarily because the therapy:
- Induces neovascularization in irradiated, hypovascular tissue (Correct answer)
- Destroys residual tumor cells
- Reverses the original radiation dose
- Eliminates the need for surgical debridement
Correct answer: Induces neovascularization in irradiated, hypovascular tissue
HBO2 stimulates angiogenesis in the hypoxic, hypocellular, hypovascular irradiated tissue bed.
Question 2: The Marx protocol for osteoradionecrosis classically combines HBO2 with:
- Staged surgical management based on treatment response (Correct answer)
- Lifelong oral oxygen tablets
- A single dive only
- Avoidance of all surgery
Correct answer: Staged surgical management based on treatment response
The Marx protocol stages surgical intervention according to the patient's response to HBO2.
Question 3: Compromised skin grafts and flaps benefit from HBO2 because oxygen:
- Supports marginally perfused tissue and reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury (Correct answer)
- Glues the graft to the wound bed
- Replaces the need for vascular supply entirely
- Prevents all infection without antibiotics
Correct answer: Supports marginally perfused tissue and reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury
HBO2 salvages compromised grafts/flaps by oxygenating marginal tissue and limiting reperfusion injury.
Question 4: Which laboratory or bedside finding suggests a chronic wound is hypoxic and may need HBO2 evaluation?
- Persistently low periwound TcPO2 that rises with oxygen challenge (Correct answer)
- Elevated serum sodium
- Normal capillary refill
- High platelet count alone
Correct answer: Persistently low periwound TcPO2 that rises with oxygen challenge
Low TcPO2 that improves with an oxygen challenge indicates correctable tissue hypoxia.
Question 5: For a patient on the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin, the technologist should be aware that HBO2 may:
- Potentiate the drug's cytotoxic and cardiotoxic effects (Correct answer)
- Completely neutralize the drug
- Have no documented interaction concern
- Convert it into a wound dressing
Correct answer: Potentiate the drug's cytotoxic and cardiotoxic effects
Doxorubicin is a recognized HBO2 interaction concern due to enhanced toxicity.
Question 6: In a chronic refractory wound, HBO2 is best described as:
- Adjunctive therapy combined with standard wound care (Correct answer)
- A standalone cure replacing debridement and offloading
- A purely diagnostic procedure
- Effective only for acute trauma
Correct answer: Adjunctive therapy combined with standard wound care
HBO2 is adjunctive and must accompany debridement, offloading, infection control, and good wound care.
Question 7: Repeated daily HBO2 sessions improve wound bed quality largely by establishing:
- A durable oxygen gradient that drives fibroblast and capillary growth over weeks (Correct answer)
- Instant complete closure after one dive
- Permanent saturation that never declines
- A bacterial biofilm protective layer
Correct answer: A durable oxygen gradient that drives fibroblast and capillary growth over weeks
Cumulative daily exposures build a lasting oxygen gradient supporting fibroblast and capillary proliferation.
Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Test Hyperbaric Wound Healing 3
Delayed radiation injury (soft tissue radionecrosis) responds to HBO2 primarily because the therapy: