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Hyperbaric Medicine Fundamentals Flashcards

7 cards from real CHT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. Which is a recognized RELATIVE contraindication to hyperbaric oxygen therapy that requires careful risk-benefit evaluation?

    Answer: Concurrent bleomycin chemotherapy

    Bleomycin sensitizes lung tissue to oxygen toxicity, making HBO potentially dangerous and requiring oncology consultation before use.

  2. The oxygen window concept in decompression theory refers to:

    Answer: The unsaturated partial pressure of inert gas that allows bubble reabsorption

    The oxygen window is the partial pressure vacancy created when O2 is metabolized, which drives inert gas elimination from tissues.

  3. At what depth in feet of seawater (FSW) does 1 additional atmosphere of pressure accumulate?

    Answer: 33 FSW

    Every 33 FSW (approximately 10 meters of seawater) adds 1 ATA of hydrostatic pressure.

  4. Which effect of HBO on red blood cells improves oxygen delivery beyond what hemoglobin alone can provide?

    Answer: HBO dissolves additional oxygen directly in plasma

    At 3 ATA with 100% O2, plasma can carry approximately 6 vol% of dissolved O2, enough to meet resting tissue needs without hemoglobin.

  5. A multiplace chamber requires patients breathing 100% O2 to use a mask or hood because:

    Answer: The chamber is pressurized with air, so patients must receive O2 separately

    Multiplace chambers are pressurized with air; patients receive therapeutic O2 via a tight-fitting mask, hood, or endotracheal tube.

  6. Which long-term complication can develop in patients receiving extensive courses of HBO therapy affecting the lungs?

    Answer: Pulmonary oxygen toxicity (Lorrain Smith effect) with decreased vital capacity

    Prolonged exposure to high PO2 causes the Lorrain Smith effect—pulmonary oxygen toxicity with inflammation, edema, and reduced lung capacity.

  7. Which patient presentation is the best indicator that a hyperbaric wound-healing treatment course is producing clinical benefit?

    Answer: Measurable reduction in wound size and improved transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO2)

    Objective wound size reduction and improved TcPO2 readings confirm that HBO is enhancing tissue oxygenation and driving healing.