CHS Emergency Procedures & Regulatory Compliance Questions and Answe 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a hyperbaric treatment, a patient develops a grand mal seizure at 2.4 ATA. What is the immediate first action?
- Remove the oxygen mask and maintain depth until seizure subsides (Correct answer)
- Immediately decompress to surface at emergency rate
- Administer IV diazepam through the chamber port
- Switch to 100% oxygen to increase partial pressure
Correct answer: Remove the oxygen mask and maintain depth until seizure subsides
During an oxygen convulsion, the mask is removed to stop oxygen delivery and the patient is kept at depth until the seizure ends before controlled ascent.
Question 2: Under NFPA 99, hyperbaric chambers are classified into which categories based on occupancy?
- Class A (multi-place), Class B (mono-place), Class C (animal/research) (Correct answer)
- Type I, Type II, Type III based on pressure rating
- Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 based on fire risk
- Category A, B, C based on patient acuity
Correct answer: Class A (multi-place), Class B (mono-place), Class C (animal/research)
NFPA 99 classifies hyperbaric facilities as Class A (multi-occupant), Class B (single occupant), and Class C (non-human occupancy).
Question 3: A fire breaks out inside a Class A multi-place hyperbaric chamber during treatment. What is the FIRST priority action?
- Initiate emergency decompression and notify the fire department (Correct answer)
- Activate internal fire suppression system immediately
- Increase chamber pressure to suppress combustion
- Flood the chamber with 100% nitrogen
Correct answer: Initiate emergency decompression and notify the fire department
Life safety is the first priority; emergency decompression removes occupants while fire suppression and emergency services are simultaneously activated.
Question 4: Which federal agency has primary regulatory oversight over hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities in the United States?
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (Correct answer)
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Correct answer: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
CMS sets coverage and safety standards for HBO therapy, and accreditation bodies like The Joint Commission enforce compliance for reimbursement.
Question 5: What minimum oxygen concentration in the chamber atmosphere triggers a fire hazard emergency response per NFPA 99?
- 23.5% (Correct answer)
- 21.0%
- 25.0%
- 19.5%
Correct answer: 23.5%
NFPA 99 identifies an oxygen-enriched atmosphere as greater than 23.5% O2, at which point fire risk increases significantly and emergency protocols activate.
Question 6: A hyperbaric chamber operator discovers a patient is experiencing arterial gas embolism (AGE) immediately after surfacing from a dive. The treatment protocol of choice is:
- US Navy Treatment Table 6 with oxygen breathing (Correct answer)
- US Navy Treatment Table 5 for air embolism
- Recompression to 6 ATA on air alone
- Oxygen at 2.0 ATA for 60 minutes only
Correct answer: US Navy Treatment Table 6 with oxygen breathing
USN Table 6 at 2.8 ATA with oxygen periods is the standard recompression treatment for AGE and severe decompression sickness.
Question 7: According to UHMS guidelines, which staff credential is required to supervise inside a multi-place hyperbaric chamber during patient treatment?
- A Certified Hyperbaric Technologist (CHT) or Registered Nurse trained in hyperbaric medicine (Correct answer)
- Any licensed physician regardless of hyperbaric training
- A certified SCUBA diver with first-aid certification
- An EMT-Basic with chamber orientation
Correct answer: A Certified Hyperbaric Technologist (CHT) or Registered Nurse trained in hyperbaric medicine
UHMS and accreditation standards require that an inside attendant be a trained CHT or equivalently credentialed clinical professional.
CHS Emergency Procedures & Regulatory Compliance Questions and Answe 2
During a hyperbaric treatment, a patient develops a grand mal seizure at 2.4 ATA.
What is the immediate first action?