Hyperbaric Chamber for PV

[SoledadBarcelona]

I would like to know something about this issue but I dont find any paper. Do you know anything about it? Thanks

[ainslie]

I can’t remember exactly but the chamber may increase haemoglobin, be careful research it, I doubt it will help your PV any

[SoledadBarcelona in reply to ainslie]

I want to find a paper to give to my doctor. I think it is no fir us.

[TLJ-1 in reply to SoledadBarcelona]

A hyperbaric chamber is used for scuba divers who may have spent too much time at depth acquiring too much nitrogen in their organs and blood. After ascent to the surface, the nitrogen may come out of solution (blood) and form bubbles that can lead to much pain and some trauma. Putting such a person in a hyperbaric chamber permits the pressure to be increased, as it was while diving, so the bubbles diminish and the nitrogen dissolves again. With time, the nitrogen will clear the body, so the pressure can raised to normal atmospheric pressure.

The hyperbaric chamber will not affect the hemoglobin molecule per se nor on the interaction of Hb with oxygen, certainly not in a physiologically significant way, and it is difficult to imagine that it could have any affect on the amount of Hb, which is of critical interest to the PV patient.

In what context, could anyone think of using a hyperbaric chamber for PV? Maybe if one was really anemic, breathing a gas mixture with large amounts of oxygen and hanging out in a hyperbaric chamber would be a good thing. But PV?

[ainslie in reply to TLJ-1]

how would the chamber help if really anaemic to use your phrase

[TLJ-1]

Well, I don't think the chamber would be used regularly. However, a patient in a hyperbaric chamber can be given a much higher level of oxygen gas than normal. So, although blood cells or hemoglobin may be deficient, more oxygen can be made available to organs that may be suffering for lack of it. In fact, the high pressure can force oxygen to be transported in the body in ways not generally important at normal atmospheric pressure.

[ainslie in reply to TLJ-1]

I would urge anyone considering doing this to check with haematologist first

[SoledadBarcelona in reply to ainslie]

No hematologists know about it.