Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

The primary material used in modern hyperbaric chambers for treating patients is oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves the administration of 100% oxygen at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure. This high concentration of oxygen enhances the exchange of gases in the body, facilitates healing, and can help manage various medical conditions such as decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, and certain infections.

When patients breathe in pure oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure, it significantly increases the amount of oxygen dissolved in the plasma, allowing for improved tissue oxygenation. This is crucial for healing wounds, fighting infections, and restoring the normal function of tissues affected by hypoxia or other damage.

While other gases like carbon dioxide, helium, and nitrogen play roles in different medical or scientific applications, they are not utilized as the primary therapeutic agent in the context of hyperbaric treatment. Carbon dioxide, for example, can have adverse effects in a hyperbaric setting, while helium and nitrogen are often involved in complementary applications, such as in dive tables or specialized gas mixtures for certain conditions but are not the main focus of HBOT.