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News & Events Calendar of Events |
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Wound Care From Head To Toe
MVH notes many treatment successes with its new Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy When he began feeling some discomfort in his big toe this summer, he really didn’t think much of it at first. After a second look, 55-year-old Rudy Smith of La Belle, PA in Fayette County saw a small puncture-like wound in the appendage that was never there before. He didn’t remember injuring it, or stepping on anything, and sought treatment soon after because Rudy had a history of diabetes. He was well aware of the many results of the deadly disease that include nerve damage and blood flow problems – in particular to the feet. It was soon obvious by his physician that traditional treatments would be ineffective for his troublesome wound when it became deeper and deeper. He recommended Rudy seek treatment in one of Monongahela Valley Hospital’s new hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is used in the fight of multiple types of conditions such as thermal burns, radiation injuries and stubborn wounds such as Rudy’s. When a patient rests comfortably in the glass enclosed chamber, 100% oxygen is administered under increased pressure to the body. It is the pressure that drives the pure oxygen into damaged to cells causing them to heal quicker and more effectively. Treatments are painless, comfortable and typically last two hours. “It’s amazing, Rudy said. After only five treatments, I could actually see my toe healing after all this time.” Monongahela Valley Hospital began its Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy program to complement its existing wound care services last year. Results are so dramatic; the therapy is being investigated worldwide to see if HBOT is an effective treatment for head injuries, cerebral palsy, stroke and chronic fatigue. Rudy Smith of La Belle, PA keeps up with his favorite
program, Law and Order, during one of his HBOT treatments at Monongahela
Valley Hospital.
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