HYPERBARIC THERAPY IN BLOOD LOSS ANEMIA

Course overview

RED BLOOD CELLS CONTAIN HEMOGLOBIN; HEMOGLOBIN IS THE MAJOR CARRIER OF OXYGEN THROUGHOUT THE HUMAN BODY. WHEN HEMOGLOBIN LEVELS DECREASE, ANEMIA RESULTS AND PATIENTS MAY EXHIBIT SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DECREASED OXYGEN DELIVERY TO TISSUES (ALSO KNOWN AS OXYGEN DEBT). THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF OXYGEN DEBT MAY INCLUDE TACHYCARDIA, DYSPNEA, FATIGUE, CHEST PAIN, AND ALTERED MENTAL STATUS. LABORATORY FINDINGS MAY INCLUDE METABOLIC ACIDOSIS, HYPERLACTATEMIA, AND ELEVATED CARDIAC ENZYMES. TRANSFUSION OF PACKED RED BLOOD CELLS IS ADMINISTERED TO ANEMIC PATIENTS WHO ARE SYMPTOMATIC, TO RELIEVE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF OXYGEN DEBT. HOWEVER, SOME PATIENTS ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS DUE TO RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR FOR MEDICAL REASONS IN THESE PATIENT POPULATIONS, HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY CAN BE ADMINISTERED TO INCREASE OXYGEN DELIVERY TO TISSUES AND RELIEVE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF OXYGEN DEBT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ANEMIA WHO REFUSE BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS.