What is a hyperbaric chamber? What to know after child killed in ...

A child in the Detroit suburbs was killed in an explosion while inside a hyperbaric chamber at a health care facility, authorities said.

The explosion was reported before 8 a.m. at the Oxford Center in Troy, approximately 24 miles north of Detroit, reported WDIV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit. The child, a 5-year-old boy, was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.

As authorities work to determine the cause of the explosion, questions have surfaced online about hyperbaric chambers. Here's everything you need to know - including the reason for their use and how hyperbaric therapy works.

What is a hyperbaric chamber?

A hyperbaric chamber is a pressurized, enclosed device used to administer hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which involves breathing 100% oxygen at two to three times the normal air pressure, according to MedStar Health.

The therapy allows lungs to gather much more oxygen than would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure.

There are two types of hyperbaric chambers, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

• In a monoplace chamber, one person lies on a bed that slides into the chamber.
• Amultiplace chamber can hold more than one patient at a single time. The air in the room is pressurized, and each person inhales pure oxygen through a mask or a clear hood placed over the head.

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What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy used for?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy often treats decompression sickness, which is caused by rapid drops in water pressure in scuba diving or air pressure in air or space travel, the Mayo Clinic explained.

The therapy is also used to treat a number of other conditions.

The Food and Drug Administration has cleared hyperbaric chambers for the following disorders:

• Air and gas bubbles in blood vessels
• Anemia (severe anemia when blood transfusions cannot be used)
• Burns (severe and large burns)
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Crush injury
• Decompression sickness (diving risk)
• Gas gangrene
• Hearing loss (complete hearing loss that occurs suddenly and without any known cause)
• Infection of the skin and bone (severe)
• Radiation injury
• Skin graft flap at risk of tissue death
• Vision loss (when sudden and painless in one eye due to blockage of blood flow)
• Wounds (non-healing, diabetic foot ulcers)

Each session typically lasts one to two hours and is typically done in an outpatient setting.

Is hyperbaric therapy safe?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally safe in cases when chambers are used for indications approved by the FDA, according to the agency.

Because of the increased pressure and increased concentration of the oxygen, the following complications are possible:

• Ear and sinus pain
• Middle ear injuries, including tympanic membrane rupture
• Temporary vision changes
• Lung collapse (rare)

Overall, serious complications are rare, according to the FDA.

The FDA recommends treatment at an accredited facility, because high concentrations of oxygen pose a fire risk. Explosions and fires have occurred in chambers that have not been reviewed by the FDA and are located at unaccredited facilities, according to the agency.

The agency states if you are considering the therapy for yourself or a loved one, be aware that some claims of what it can do are unproven. For instance, hyperbaric chambers aren't proven to cure cancer, Lyme disease, autism or Alzheimer’s disease.