Introduction to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
State legislators want greater oversight of the wellness industry after 5-year-old Thomas Cooper was killed in a hyperbaric chamber fire in January. The death of a 5-year-old in a hyperbaric chamber in Michigan has prompted calls for more oversight of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the largely unsupervised wellness industry before another tragedy occurs.
The Incident
Thomas Cooper was killed Jan. 31 when a fire broke out in a hyperbaric chamber at the Oxford Center, an alternative medicine clinic in the Detroit suburb of Troy. On Monday, the Oxford Center founder and CEO and three of her employees were charged in Thomas’ death.
Thomas Cooper, 5, of Royal Oak, Mich. (Courtesy family of Thomas Cooper)
What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Hyperbaric chambers are pressurized, tubelike devices that people lie or sit in for treatment, depending on the type of chamber. The therapy involves breathing in air that consists of 100% oxygen, which helps the body heal more quickly but also creates a highly combustible environment. The treatment method has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to help over a dozen conditions including carbon monoxide poisoning, severe wounds and decompression sickness in scuba divers.
Unapproved Uses of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The Oxford Center’s website lists over 100 conditions it says it treats, including many that the FDA has not approved for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, such as cancer, dyslexia, Alzheimer’s, Lyme disease and autism — though it is not illegal to use hyperbaric chambers for these purposes. In a statement to NBC News, an attorney for the Oxford Center said the center was “disappointed” by the charges filed against four staff members.
Lack of Oversight
Thomas was receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sleep apnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to his family’s attorney, which are not among the conditions approved by the FDA for such treatment. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said the boy died within seconds after a single spark started a fire in the hyperbaric chamber he was in. Officials have not said yet what the cause of the fire was. Michigan law doesn’t require any oversight over the use of hyperbaric chambers, so without having some sort of probable cause to believe that there are crimes being committed involving hyperbaric chambers in other places in the state, officials wouldn’t have the authority to go in and perform an inspection.
Calls for Regulation
Two Democratic legislators in Michigan, state Sen. Stephanie Chang and state Rep. Sharon MacDonell, are working together to explore regulatory options after Thomas’ death. Chang said she was alarmed by what appeared to be a myriad of problems that led to the fire, based on what the Michigan attorney general outlined, including allegedly not having a properly trained technician operating the hyperbaric chamber. MacDonell said it was important not just to make hyperbaric chambers safer but also to stop businesses from making unproven claims about what the therapy can do.
Accreditation Process
The accreditation process involves on-site inspections and verification that equipment is maintained and specialists are properly trained, and costs about $10,000 for an accreditation that lasts for three to four years. At the moment, nearly 150 facilities across the country are accredited by the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society, a nonprofit organization that accredits hospitals and freestanding facilities with hyperbaric chambers in the absence of government regulation.
Conclusion
The death of Thomas Cooper has raised concerns about the lack of oversight in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy industry. While the FDA regulates certain hyperbaric chambers, there is no consistent federal, state or local oversight of the practice outside of hospitals. The Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society has called for mandatory accreditation, and lawmakers are exploring regulatory options to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
FAQs
- What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing in air that consists of 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber to help the body heal more quickly. - Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy regulated?
The FDA regulates certain hyperbaric chambers, but there is no consistent federal, state or local oversight of the practice outside of hospitals. - What conditions is hyperbaric oxygen therapy approved for?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is approved for over a dozen conditions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, severe wounds, and decompression sickness in scuba divers. - Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy be used for unapproved conditions?
Yes, but it is not recommended, and the FDA has warned that some claims about what hyperbaric chambers can do are “unproven”.
