Abstract
A patient with a cervical spinal cord injury receiving intrathecal baclofen for spasticity control underwent a 7 week course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to induce healing of an ischial decubitus ulcer. After completion of this treatment and during a routine baclofen infusion pump refill, the actual pump reservoir volume exceeded computer measurements obtained with telemetry. Examination of the physiology of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in relation to infusion pump function revealed that the intraspinal pressures attained during hyperbaric oxygen therapy produced retrograde leakage of cerebrospinal fluid into the infusion pump reservoir.
References
Davis J C (1991) Enhancement of healing. In: Camporesi EM, Barker AC, editors. Therapy - a Critical Review. Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Maryland: 127.
Penn R D, Savoy S M, Coreos D, Latash M, Gottlieb G, Parke B et al 1989 Intrathecal baclofen for severe spinal spasticity. N Engl J Med 320: 1517–1521.
Loubser P G, Naravan R K, Sandin K J, Donovan W H, Russell K D (1991) Continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen: Long term effects on spasticity in spinal cord injury. Paraplegia 29: 48–64.
Bulletin UC91012600E M (1991) Medtronic Neurological, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Brown J A, Preul M C, Taha A (1988) Hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of elevated intracranial pressure after head injury. Pediatr Neurosci 14: 286–290.
Jain K K (1989) Effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on spasticity in stroke patients. J Hyperbaric Med 4: 55–61.
Kieper N R (1987) The use of hyperbaric oxygen in the rehabilitation of spinal cord injured patients due to decompression sickness. In: Kindwall EP, editor. Proceedings of the Eighth International Congress on Hyperbaric Medicine. Best Publishing Company, San Pero, California: 251.
Baker B (1992) Use of an implantable infusion pump in the multiplace hyperbaric chamber. Undersea Biomed Res 19: 63.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Akman, M., Loubser, P., Fife, C. et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: implications for spinal cord injury patients with intrathecal baclofen infusion pumps. Case report. Spinal Cord 32, 281–284 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1994.49
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1994.49
Keywords
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- intrathecal baclofen
- muscle spasticity
- spinal cord injury
