Melbourne

The Alfred Hospital, The Alfred Hyperbaric Service

Commercial Rd., Prahran, VIC. 3181, Australia
Phone: 61 3 9276 2269, Fax: 61 3 9276 3052
E-mail: hyperbaric@alfred.org.au

Chamber

One of the new generation of rectangular chamber designs, this is a three-compartment system with pressurisation range of -70 to +500 kPa gauge. Installed in February 1999, the system replaces a complex of old diving-type recompression chambers, which were outdated and inflexible in the hospital setting. The main chamber floor area is 6 x 3 mtr with oxygen outlets for 14 patients breathing on hoods and an additional 4 on BIBS masks. Patient numbers vary between 6 and 10 for anything other than emergencies. Alternatively it allows for up to 4 trolleys or 2 intensive care beds simultaneously. Patient type varies from simple wound healing through to fully intubated ICU cases.

The main chamber's range is from 0 - 200 kPa (that's 20 msw for the divers) and thus handles all but the most serious of cases. Two smaller chambers of approximately 2 x 3 mtr are capable of hypobaric ranges of equivalent of 10,000 mtr altitude and on the other side to 500 kPa gauge (equal to 50 msw). Not as yet operational, the hypobaric facility is intended for research and for aviation personnel altitude familiarization.

Specifications

• Design Code AS1210 - 1997, ASME PVHO
• Operating Pressure -70 - 500 kPa
• Design Pressure -80 - 550 kPa
• Vessel Classification Class 1
• Hydrotest Pressure 825 kPa
• Main Lock Capacity 14 seated patients
• System Weight 40 tonnes
• Overall length 12 mtr
• Width - Main Lock 3 mtr
• Width - Entry and Inner Locks 2.1 mtr
• Volume - Main Lock 42 cubic mtr
• Volume - Entry and Inner Locks 14 cubic mtr

The main air supply from the hospital's recently upgraded system comprises 4 Broomwade oil-free, reciprocating LP air compressors. Backup comes from two oil-lube rotary screw compressors each with a set of domnic hunter filters to make the compressed air safe for breathing. A secondary backup comes from 2 banks of HP air maintained at 150 bar at all times. Although questionably necessary as pressurisation backup, the air banks are also used as a source for pilot air and other items. A 6 cubic mtr volume tank completes the air ring as a buffer bank.
Special breathing mixes are supplied from a separate cylinder store where 4 mix banks are available for heliox or any other gases as required. Cylinders are arranged in banks of 4 with 2 actually on line and 2 on the other side of an automatic changeover regulator. Warning lamps are wired to the operator's control panel to indicate when a change of cylinders is required.
The operator's console is a computer station showing chamber status on VDU screens for each compartment. Pressure is set to a target and rate is controlled by the operator. Analyser readings are displayed and alarmed at preset points. Set decompression rates take inaccuracies out of the treatment cycle. The visitor's impression is that modern science has at last reached chamber control.

History

The Hyperbaric Medical Service opened at the Alfred in 1987 under the guidance of the National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA - now defunct), a privately operated emergency service organisation. The NSCA supplied equipment and operating staff. Initially treating Victorian divers for decompression illnesses, the unit set about expanding its problem wound focus over the years. There is now a large turnover of wound healing cases for all the normally accepted conditions. From the start, the service has been available to the Victorian community on a 24 hour basis. In 1990, the unit's location changed from an old loading bay with little natural light to today's position overlooking parkland (see view from main lock window below) and adjacent to the helicopter landing pad, ready to accept any serious cases immediately.

In process of construction today (late 1999) is Australia's largest intensive care unit - adjacent to Hyperbaric. Due to become operational mid-2000, the proximity of this unit may allow even more critical cases to be wheeled into the chamber. Remote location and poor chamber access has certainly denied many patients the benefits of treatment in the past. The profile of the unit within the hospital itself has been raised with the installation of the current system. HBO is becoming more widely recognised in the medical community as a beneficial addition to other forms of treatment

Personnel

Nurse Manager
Nat Ballan

Permanent Nursing staff
Chris Baines
Gordon Bingham
Nat McGregor
Cate Venturoni
Emma Williams

Technical Officers:
Dwayne Cananzi (Technical and Safety Manager)
Michael Crabb
Lester Smith
John Houston
Paul Axton
Leigh Branagan
Peter Gillies

Location

The hospital is situated in the leafy suburb of Prahran approximately 8 minutes drive from the centre of Melbourne.

The Hyperbaric Service is on the first floor adjacent to the Road Trauma Helipad. Visitors interested in hyperbaric and diving medicine are always welcome to visit.