Recompression chambers were associated with diving operations until fairly recently. It was only in the early 1960s that research showed the benefits to certain patients of breathing in pure oxygen at pressures greater than normal atmospheric pressure. It was found that this treatment helped new blood vessels to grow and body tissue and organs received more oxygen, thus promoting the healing process. Today a number of hyperbaric chamber training courses exist for health care professionals who want to be involved with this type of treatment.

These chambers are now found at many medical centers. Some of them are suitable for treating a single patient whereas others can accommodate many patients at the same time. Oxygen is delivered individually to each person in the unit. Members of the team administering the treatment can move in and out of the chamber due to independent compartments that compress and decompress.

Many different conditions benefit from treatment in these chambers. Problem wounds, acute thermal burns, decompression sickness, crush injuries and carbon monoxide poisoning are just some conditions that improve with treatment. The amount of time and length of treatment varies according to the condition being treated and treatment protocols have been established identifying safe time-dose limits.

Various courses are available for health care professionals who want learn more about this therapy. Some are basic and others more advanced. When choosing a course, the most important factor to consider is accreditation. It is important to establish the credentials of those who were involved in formulating the course. Other factors to bear in mind are cost, length and the method of teaching used.

Online courses are available and they can provide a solution for those who cannot physically attend lectures. Online courses today are very advanced, offering the latest learning materials and using many tools to enhance learning. They also offer an interactive learning environment with forums, discussion groups and instructors available to help.

Topics covered in the most basic courses will be those such as the workings of chambers, oxygen toxicity as well as contraindications and side effects. Some time should be spent focused on patient care and treatment for specific conditions. Most courses are well structured with a good balance between theory and the practical application. Assessment is often continuous rather than consisting of one exam.

The length of such courses varies according to the amount of content covered and the experience level of the students. For example, some are specifically designed for those with prior knowledge. Courses may be specifically geared towards physicians, technologists, nurses, respiratory therapists and allied health care professionals. Most of these courses offer some kind of certification once a course is completed.

This type of treatment is proving to be successful, particularly when other methods of treatment are failing. Treatment protocols are being established and more physicians are now trained to prescribe a particular protocol to treat a specific problem. The team then administers the dosage strictly according to this protocol. This therapy needs to be administered with care to avoid toxic side effects and in the hands of a trained team therapy is safe and effective.