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Methods using exposure to gases of different partial pressures
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Normobaric hypoxic therapy (“mountain air”) is a method of inhalation therapy using a gas mixture with a reduced oxygen content, alternating the supply of this mixture with breathing atmospheric air.
Composition of the gas mixture: oxygen - 10-12%, nitrogen - 88-90%; the mixture is supplied under a pressure of 1020 hPa with a volumetric feed rate of 0.72 m3/h at a temperature of 18-23 °C.
The peculiarities of the method’s action are determined by the alternation of hypoxia and reoxygenation of the body’s tissues.
Main clinical effects: adaptive, metabolic, hemostimulating, bronchodraining, reparative-regenerative.
Equipment. This method of treatment uses breathing systems that include an anesthetic apparatus with a rotametric unit for dosing the gas flow and an ejector device for diluting nitrogen.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (oxygen barotherapy) is a method of inhalation or general exposure of the human body in a special chamber, carried out with a gas mixture with increased partial pressure of oxygen.
When inhaled, the gas mixture consists of 99% oxygen and about 1% nitrogen; the mixture is supplied under a pressure of 0.4-0.5 MPa with a volumetric flow rate of 0.4 m3/h at a temperature of 18-23 °C.
With a general effect on the entire patient's body in a single-person pressure chamber, the oxygen composition in the gas mixture is 100%, the pressure is 0.2-0.3 MPa.
The method's action features are related to the increased partial pressure of oxygen in the gas mixture. Due to this, the oxygen content in the blood increases, alveolar ventilation decreases, the heart rate decreases, and diastolic pressure increases.
Main clinical effects: vasopressor, detoxifying, metabolic, adaptive, reparative-regenerative.
Equipment:
- for inhalation exposure, a breathing system is used, including a reducer, a rubber tube connected to a breathing bag with a capacity of up to 10 liters and a valve box;
- For general impact, the following chambers are used: Irtysh-MT, Mana-2, Oka-MT, Yenisei-3, BLKS-301, BLKS-301 M, etc.
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