The Critical Importance of Hyperbaric Therapy Safety ⚠️

A Tragic Incident Highlights the Dangers

On Friday, January 31, 2025, a devastating incident at the Oxford Center in Troy, Michigan, claimed the life of Thomas Cooper, a 5-year-old child, and injured his mother when a pressurized hyperbaric oxygen chamber exploded. The explosion, caused by a fire inside the chamber, underscores the extreme risks associated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy when safety protocols are not meticulously followed. Hyperbaric chambers operate under high pressure with pure oxygen, which significantly increases the risk of combustion. While investigations are ongoing, this heartbreaking event highlights the life-threatening consequences of improper safety measures when using any hyperbaric chamber.

The Inherent Risks of Hyperbaric Chambers

This devastating event should prompt greater scrutiny of all hyperbaric chambers, especially soft-sided models and the clinics that use them as they severely lack oversight and critical safety precautions. Soft-sided bag hyperbaric chambers are becoming more common in the marketplace and treatment clinics, raising serious safety concerns—especially when used with supplemental oxygen. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) state that these chambers must meet the same strict safety standards as hard-sided chambers. These standards are outlined in NFPA 101 and NFPA 99, which regulate life safety and fire codes for medical facilities.

However, many soft-sided chambers do not meet these safety requirements. In fact, a large number of them:

Are often imported in parts to avoid regulatory oversight, then assembled without proper safety checks.
Lack FDA registration, meaning they haven’t been properly evaluated for safety.
Fail to comply with ASME PVHO-1 safety standards, which are designed to ensure the structural integrity of pressure vessels for human use.
Are illegally used with oxygen concentrators, significantly increasing the risk of fires and explosions.

Serious adverse events have been linked to these chambers:

In North Carolina, a young man died from asphyxia in an Oxyhealth soft-sided hyperbaric chamber during unattended treatment at home.
In Great Britain, a diver with decompression illness received ineffective treatment in a mild chamber, delaying proper care and risking permanent disability.
In India, a soft-sided chamber ruptured while occupied, posing life-threatening risks.

These incidents underscore the critical need for regulation, proper operator training, and strict adherence to safety standards. The FDA explicitly forbids the use of oxygen with soft-sided or zipper bag chambers, and any clinic utilizing oxygen, be it from a tank or an oxygen concentrator, must be accredited and comply with NFPA 99 fire codes.

Exposing Dangerous Misinformation

The International Hyperbarics Association (IHA) has been spreading false information, as seen in “A Letter from the Executive Director“, where they accuse the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) of running a disinformation campaign. In their “Statement on The January 31st Hyperbaric Chamber Fire Resulting in a Tragedy in Troy, Michigan“, they further deflect the underlining issue, accusing other organizations of using the tragedy to push agendas on off-label therapies when the real issue is safety. Heavily influenced by its primary donor, Oxyhealth—a manufacturer of soft-sided hyperbaric chambers—the IHA promotes unsafe practices while downplaying the critical lack of proper safety oversight.

One of the alarming practices they endorse is the use of supplemental oxygen in soft-sided hyperbaric chambers. This is not only unsafe but also directly violates FDA guidelines and national fire safety codes. Soft-sided chambers are NOT designed to handle the fire risks associated with concentrated oxygen in a pressurized environment. Despite these risks, the IHA continues to promote hyperbaric clinics that ignore critical safety protocols, creating a false sense of security for patients.

Moreover, many of these clinics irresponsibly allow patients to wear casual street clothes and bring electronic devices like cell phones and tablets into the chambers. This significantly increases the risk of fire, as static electricity and electronic malfunctions can ignite in oxygen-rich, pressurized environments. These reckless practices are not just violations of safety standards—they are potential life-threatening hazards.

The Imperative to Prioritize Safety

Rules and regulations are not arbitrary; they exist to protect consumers, patients, and the public. Sidestepping these guidelines can result in catastrophic events, as tragically demonstrated in Michigan. Clinics and manufacturers must be held accountable.

The bottom line is clear: soft-sided hyperbaric chambers should NEVER be used with oxygen concentrators and clinics utilizing oxygen MUST comply with NFPA 99 fire codes. The rules and regulations are in place to protect patients, and sidestepping them for profit is unacceptable. Anyone aware of clinics violating these safety protocols should report them to their local Fire Marshal immediately. Patient safety must always come first.

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Sources:

Troy explosion: Expert says no state oversight was found for Oxford Center

Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion Kills 5-Year-Old Boy

Boy, 5, dies in hyperbaric chamber explosion at Michigan medical facility

5-year-old Michigan boy killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion

5-year-old killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion in Michigan

5-Year-Old Boy Killed After Hyperbaric Chamber Explodes with Child Inside

FDA Consumer Alert regarding hyperbaric chambers and hyperbaric clinics

Health Canada: Unauthorized soft-shelled hyperbaric chambers may pose serious health risks

Health Canada: Unlicensed soft-shelled hyperbaric chambers may pose serious health risks

A young man died from asphyxia in an Oxyhealth soft-sided hyperbaric chamber