Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Practice Test 2026 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the recommended treatment method for decompression sickness (DCS) because it significantly enhances the body's ability to eliminate nitrogen bubbles that may form in tissues due to rapid pressure changes. When a diver ascends too quickly, these bubbles can cause a range of symptoms from joint pain to neurological problems. By using hyperbaric oxygen therapy, patients are placed in a pressurized chamber where they breathe pure oxygen. This high-pressure environment helps to reduce the size of the nitrogen bubbles and promotes the dissolution of dissolved gases, facilitating their safe elimination through the lungs.

The therapy also helps to improve oxygen delivery to tissues that may be deprived due to the effects of DCS, reducing damage and aiding in recovery. This method is well-established in the management of DCS and has shown positive outcomes in clinical practice.

Other treatment methods, such as standard oxygen therapy, while beneficial, do not provide the same level of therapeutic pressure and oxygenation needed to manage DCS effectively. Edema reduction therapy typically addresses swelling and inflammation but does not specifically target the gas bubbles or the root issue of DCS. Immediate surgical intervention may be necessary in some acute cases of DCS, particularly if there are complications such as arterial gas embolism, but it is not