Hyperbaric oxygen as a treatment for COVID-19 infection?
Abstract
Recently the internet has been abuzz with new ideas to treat COVID-19, including hyperbaric
oxygen (HBO2) therapy, undoubtedly driven by the fact that until recently there have
been few therapeutic options for this highly contagious and often lethal infection.
. . . Refractory hypoxemia is certainly treatable with hyperbaric oxygen due to the
obvious effect of increasing inspired oxygen partial pressure (PO2), the major reason
for using HBO2 for its established indications. However, the length of time during
which patients can safely be administered HBO2 inside a chamber is limited, due to
practical issues of confinement and isolation from other necessary medical interventions,
but also because of oxygen toxicity.
Type
Journal articleSubject
HumansPneumonia, Viral
Coronavirus Infections
Oxygen
Pulmonary Gas Exchange
Hyperbaric Oxygenation
Middle Aged
Male
Pandemics
Hypoxia
Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/22007Collections
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Richard Edward Moon
Professor of Anesthesiology
Research interests include the study of cardiorespiratory function in humans during
challenging clinical settings including the perioperative period, and exposure to
environmental conditions such as diving and high altitude. Studies have included gas
exchange during diving, the pathophysiology of high altitude and immersion pulmonary
edema, the effect of anesthesia and postoperative analgesia on pulmonary function
and monitoring of tissue oxygenation. Ongoing human studies include the effect of

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