Although there are approximately 1,300 hyperbaric chamber facilities in the U.S., fewer than 10 percent of these are available to provide emergency hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatments. This state of affairs is the result of a shift in the past 20 years in which hospitals have sought to reduce operating costs by ceasing to offer emergency hyperbaric treatments.
Fewer facilities available for emergencies means longer delays to treatment, and unfortunately for divers — as well as people suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, certain soft tissue infections and various other maladies — treatment delays can lead to permanent neurological injuries and even death.
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