Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch Hyperbaric Medicine Unit

History

Hyperbarics began in Christchurch in 1973 as a supplement to treating head and neck cancers with radiotherapy. It was also used to treat acute problems such as Decompression sickness, Gas Gangrene and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. This continued on until the Princess Margaret Hospital opened Sept. 1979 and a Hyperbaric Unit was established there.

Following 19 years of service at The Princess Margaret Hospital, the chamber and associated plant were moved to Christchurch Public Hospital. This allowed better access to core services such as radiology, oncology, plastics etc. A new control panel was installed and the compressors were installed in soundproof boxes. Minimal part-time staffing appointments were made and a few patients with problem wounds have been treated.

The new Rectangular design Double Lock 8 person (DL8) which was installed in late 2000 and replaced the old cylindrical chamber has a 4 ATA Entry and Main Lock. A TV port and entertainment system provide entertainment for the patients while a flush toilet in the Entrance Lock enhances patient and attendant comfort.

Large 900 wide x 1920 high doorways allow trolleys and wheelchairs to be loaded easily while the easy opening 350mm square x 500mm long medical lock is large enough to accomodate bedpans, resuscitators and ventilators.

Chamber

• Make - Fink Engineering DL8
• Operating pressure - 300 kPa
• Design pressure - 330 kPa
• Capacity - 8 seated patients
• Overall length - 4.7m
• Internal volume - Main Lock 14 scm
• Internal volume - Entrance Lock 6.4 scm

Compressors

We use a high pressure system which allows us the luxury of knowing, before a treatment, what our available air supply status is.

Compressor 1 : 22 cuft/min Bauer V20
Compressor 2 : 5 cfm/min Bauer

Air Banks
H.P. (3,000psi) 'G' Cylinders (7,500 ltrs)
10 per bank x 5 banks = 375 m3 Total

Staff

Medical Director (1* 0.2FTE)
Hyperbaric Doctors (Drawn from various hospital departments and private practice)
Technical Supervisor / Safety Officer (1x 0.2FTE)
Clinical Nurse Specialist (1x 0.2FTE)
Nurse/attendants (10 casual)
Supervisor (1 casual)
Operators (7 casual)

Location

We are located on the lower-ground, Parkside west, Christchurch Hospital, near the western lifts.

Contact Details

Christchurch Hyperbaric Medicine Unit
Private Bag 4710, Christchurch
New Zealand

Phone: 64 03 3640 045, Fax: 64 03 3640 187
Email: hbu@chhlth.govt.nz

Treatments

Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment is a means of providing additional oxygen to your body tissues. By intermittently increasing the oxygen in the tissues, healing is enhanced. The major favorable effects on difficult wounds are to speed new microscopic blood vessel growth into the wound and to improve the ability of the white blood cells to kill germs. It is important to know that hyperbaric oxygen is an adjunctive or additional therapy with the current medical and surgical care one is receiving. It is essential that patients understand this is not a “cure-all” but again, a part of one’s total medical and surgical care.

Patients are accepted by referral only through a medical or surgical specialist.

The following conditions are treated:

• Air or Gas Embolism
• Decompression Sickness
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• Gas Gangrene
• Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
• Crush Injury & other Acute Traumatic Ischemias
• Thermal Burns
• Intracranial Abscess
• Comprised Skin Grafts & Flaps
• Radiation Tissue Damage
• Diabetic Wounds
• Refractory Osteomyelitis
• Many Chronic Hypoxic Wounds