Acute Peripheral Arterial Insufficiency

Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency is defined as the sudden occlusion of a major artery in an extremity such as the femoral or brachial artery (e.g., "saddle embolus"). Emergent surgery is the treatment of choice. The goal of HBO therapy is to enhance oxygen at the tissue level to support viability until a definitive procedure can be performed (e.g., surgery). Using HBO at 2 - 2.4 atm, the tissue oxygen tension is raised to such a level that the body's responses can become functional again. The benefits of HBO for this indication are enhanced tissue oxygenation, edema reduction, and increased oxygen delivery per unit of blood flow, thereby enhancing limb preservation.

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