Severe Anaemia

Oxygen is carried around the body by red blood cells, if you lose blood due to trauma or surgery and that blood is not replaced immediately with a blood transfusion you have a reduced supply of oxygen to your heart and brain which can quickly lead to death.

Hyperbaric oxygen can provide oxygen to depleted tissues without the need for a good blood supply and several animal studies have shown strong evidence of this. If a patient is unable to receive blood transfusions for blood loss due to medical or religious reasons then HBO has be used to sustain oxygenation and increase the chance of survival.

However, as these patients are critically unwell and the hyperbaric centres in the UK are not on hospital sites it is very complex to arrange treatment of these patients. HBO also only provides a bridge therapy until the patient is stabilised (i.e. it is not a definitive solution in itself).

Individual referrals are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Further information regarding the Referral and Funding process can be found here.

References

Mathieu D, Marroni A, Kot J. Tenth European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine: recommendations for accepted and non-accepted clinical indications and practice of hyperbaric oxygen treatment. Diving Hyperb Med. 2017 Mar;47(1):24-32. doi: 10.28920/dhm47.1.24-32. Erratum in: Diving Hyperb Med. 2017 Jun;47(2):131-132. doi: 10.28920/dhm47.2.131-132. PMID: 28357821; PMCID: PMC6147240.

McLoughlin PL, Cope TM, Harrison JC. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the management of severe acute anaemia in a Jehovah's witness. Anaesthesia. 1999 Sep;54(9):891-5. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2044.1999.01004.x. PMID: 10460565.