Portable hyperbaric bag
A portable hyperbaric bag, of which one brand is the Gamow (pronounced [ˈɡamɔf]) bag, is an inflatable pressure bag large enough to accommodate a person. The patient can be placed inside the bag, which is then sealed and inflated with a foot pump. Within minutes, the effective altitude can be decreased by 1000 m to as much as 3000 m (3281 to 9743 feet) depending on the elevation. The bag is pressurised to 14.0–29.3 kPa (105–220 mmHg); the pressure gradient is regulated by pop-off valves set to the target pressure.[1]
History
The Gamow bag was named after its inventor,
high altitude
on stamina and performance in athletes. Gamow later re-designed "The Bubble" into a bag that could be used in high-altitude wilderness.
Application
It is primarily used for treating severe cases of
partial pressure of oxygen for therapy of hypobaric injury but has the advantage of portability for field use. Patients typically are treated in 1-hour increments and then are reevaluated.[1]
See also
- Altitude tent
- Wilderness medicine
References
- ^ a b N Stuart Harris, MD (December 11, 2017). "Altitude Illness - Pulmonary Syndromes Treatment & Management: Prehospital Care, Emergency Department Care, Consultations". Medscape.
- ^ Cymerman, A; Rock, PB. Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers. US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report. Archived from the original on 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Gov't Doc # USARIEM-TN94-2. - ISBN 978-1-4160-4698-1.
- ^ "Altitude Sickness". Altitude.org. Retrieved 2016-09-18.