A deadly late night flash fire inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber has claimed the life of an Arizona physical therapist (a PhD) at the wellness clinic that he owned.
One of the comments from a person claiming to have operated this type of treatment chamber for years said:
"He may have been wearing prohibited clothing or skin applications; deodorant or a prohibited wound dressing. Anything that can cause a spark, is petroleum based, or is even remotely flammable can ignite and burn intensely in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber."
https://people.com/physical-therapist-dies-fire-inside-hyperbaric-chamber-at-own-wellness-clinic-arizona-11770324
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In January 2025, a 5 year old boy was incinerated inside a hyperbaric oxygen treatment chamber.
The Oxford Center did not use a grounding strap for Thomas, which is essential to protect patients and equipment from static electricity that can serve as an ignition source in the chamber.
"Thomas Cooper died Jan. 31 at the Oxford Center, an alternative medicine facility in the Detroit suburb of Troy that says it treats over 100 conditions, including Alzheimer’s, autism and dyslexia. Those conditions are not cleared for hyperbaric oxygen therapy by the Food and Drug Administration, nor are the ones that a family attorney said Thomas’ parents took him in for: sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder."
Second degree murder charges were filed in March against the owners/operators.
“The Oxford Center routinely operated sensitive and lethally dangerous hyperbaric chambers beyond their expected service lifetime and in complete disregard of vital safety measures and practices considered essential by medical and technical professionals,” she said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hyperbaric-chamber-facility-boy-died-put-profits-safety-ag-says-rcna195817
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Some people have reported positive results from hyperbaric oxygen treatment for TBI, mTBI, and PTSD.
https://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/publications/esp/hbot-brief.pdf
https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-shows-promise-in-treating-ptsd/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1360311/full
So be sure to go to a reputable operator, and follow instructions to the letter, if you or a loved one decides to try it.
The FDA has cleared hyperbaric oxygen therapy for several conditions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, certain wounds and burns and decompression sickness in scuba divers.
In recent years, spas, wellness centers and other unaccredited facilities have promoted hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a treatment for numerous health issues, although “some claims of what it can do are unproven,” the FDA warns.
The agency recommends going to a facility that has been evaluated and accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, which has a list of accredited facilities. The Oxford Center is not on the list.
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Moar:
"The FDA has cleared hyperbaric oxygen therapy for several conditions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, certain wounds and burns and decompression sickness in scuba divers.
"In recent years, spas, wellness centers and other unaccredited facilities have promoted hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a treatment for numerous health issues, although “some claims of what it can do are unproven,” the FDA warns.
"The agency recommends going to a facility that has been evaluated and accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, which has a list of accredited facilities.* The Oxford Center is not on the list.
“The Oxford Center operated these machines and offered unfounded treatments to patients when medical science contradicted these uses of their services,” Nessel said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hyperbaric-chamber-facility-boy-died-put-profits-safety-ag-says-rcna195817
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https://www.uhms.org/accredited-facilities.html