Center for Hyperbaric Medicine & Environmental Physiology
- Chamber type
- hard-shell
- Accreditation
- UHMS Accredited
Contact & Hours
About Center for Hyperbaric Medicine & Environmental Physiology
The Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology is a regional referral center for hyperbaric medicine in the Southeastern United States. It is a multi-place, critical care-oriented facility that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for emergencies. They maintain 3 pressure chambers for treatment and 4 others for research. The center's faculty includes physicians board certified in hyperbaric medicine, specializing in the physiology of human exposure to extreme environments. Nurses have received specialized training to enter pressurized chambers to provide care within the chambers. The center is internationally recognized for its research in areas such as carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity, and the adverse effects of radiation. They also serve as a backup facility for the treatment of diving injuries for the United States Armed Forces, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and local police, fire, and rescue agencies. The Duke chambers were the first in the nation to earn the UHMS “with distinction” certification. Duke Dive Medicine operates a 24-hour physician consultation hotline. They also provide medical evaluation and consultation for planned human extreme environmental exposures including recreational, technical and commercial diving, terrestrial high altitude exposure and space travel. The center offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat wounds, infections, scuba diving and altitude injuries, and smoke inhalation.