HBOT Conversations:

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in acute sickle cell pain crisis. The purpose of this study is to
explore if hyperbaric oxygen therapy would decrease hospital length of stay and pain
associated with acute sickle cell pain crisis. Eligibility criteria include both female and
males age 19 years or older with sickle cell who are in an acute pain crisis. Exclusions
include pregnancy and a sickle cell crisis complicated by any acute significant concomitant
factors/conditions (i.e., acute chest syndrome, acute MI/stroke). Interventions would be 1-3
hyperbaric oxygen sessions depending on response to the therapy. Each treatment session will
be approximately two hours in length. Evaluation would be through patients’ self assessment
via the visual analog scale for pain level before and after treatments as well as tracking
length of stay in the hospital.