Abstract
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) is a remarkably effective therapy against hypoxic disorders; however, problems concerning the safety of this therapy still remain. One method of counteracting the toxicity of HBO is to limit the magnitude of compressed pressure and the exposure time to avoid the onset of acute conditions such as convulsions. A reliable indicator of the toxicity is also needed.The hydroxyl radical (sdot;OH) is the fastest reacting and most injurious radical, so it was selected as the target for the evaluation of HBO in this study.Rabbits were exposed to HBO conditions for between one and four ATA (atmospheres absolute) for 60min., and the hydroxyl radical was studied with the lapse of time by electron spin resonance (ESR).As a result, it was determined that, in conditions above 3 ATA, breathing pure oxygen for 60min. creates problems even if acute oxygen toxicity is not recognized.It is, thus, necessary to establish standards for safety and adaptability of HBO.The advantages of HBO have been discussed; however, the responses of oxygen free radicals should be studied more carefully. It is also essential to determine the oxygen toxicity. Such studies may be expected to give us data which can be of great use in HBO.
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