Hyperbaric effects on glycemia

Specialties Wound

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Hello all,

This client of mine goes to the chamber daily, we had a consult stating that his glucose level needs to be controlled. My question is does this hyperbaric chamber have any influence with regulating his glucose level???

Specializes in hyperbarics.

The answer is yes! There is extensive research being conducted by hyperbaric units all over the country about this very thing. There is a direct correlation between a patient's glucose level and their seizure threshold in the hyperbaric environment.

Hyperbaric treatments on average lower a patient's glucose level by 50 mg/dl. It is very important that the patient eat a good meal and have their glucose level checked before and after the hyperbaric treatment. If the patient is very brittle I have seen glucose levels drop by 100 mg/dl while receiving treatment. If the glucose level drops too low, the patient may experience a diabetic seizure while in the chamber.

There is a chapter about the suppositions on hyperbaric effects on glucose in the textbook on hyperbaric nursing, edited by Valarie Larson-Lohr.

Hope I helped.

The answer is yes! There is extensive research being conducted by hyperbaric units all over the country about this very thing. There is a direct correlation between a patient's glucose level and their seizure threshold in the hyperbaric environment.

Hyperbaric treatments on average lower a patient's glucose level by 50 mg/dl. It is very important that the patient eat a good meal and have their glucose level checked before and after the hyperbaric treatment. If the patient is very brittle I have seen glucose levels drop by 100 mg/dl while receiving treatment. If the glucose level drops too low, the patient may experience a diabetic seizure while in the chamber.

There is a chapter about the suppositions on hyperbaric effects on glucose in the textbook on hyperbaric nursing, edited by Valarie Larson-Lohr.

Hope I helped.

Thanks for the info, I shall check out a book on hyperbaric nursing. This client of mine had lost 12lbs in one month, glucose is now controlled with lantus and humalog..... it's just interesting...

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