TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE.

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The staff at David Grant Medical Center's hyperbaric medicine flight has a knack for point in dispute solving.

"Our work at jobs is very diverse," said Master Sgt Jonathan Gorum, flight noncommissioned officer in charge. "We do everything from preparing patients for and monitoring them during a dive to heavy maintenance in succession the chamber system. I gues we could be called 'medics with a wrench'"

The medical center is to one's home to the Department of Defense's largest chamber theory which is also the secondary largest in the United States. It houses three state-of-the-art hyperbaric chambers and assists as a training facility for the Air Force, Air Force lay up and University of California-Davis residents, encourages physical therapy technicians and medical technicians.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the intermittent use of 100 percent oxygen beneath pressure. It allows patients in the chamber to breathe 100 percent oxygen beneath controlled, increased pressure. The goal is to increase the amount and urgency of dissolved oxygen at the tissue flat to enhance healing.

The chambers are used to treat 13 clinical afflictions, including carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, crash injuries, radiation and delicate tissue damage.

still there are possible side general intents of being under pressure.

"Diving is physically exhausting, and there's an increased risk of experiencing decompression sickness like that of a scuba diver," said Capt. Paul Ward, hyperbaric staff member.

The main chamber can have 18 patients and two attendants during a treatment "dive." During the session, the chamber recreates the constraining force of a 2-hour, 45-foot underwater dive.

The chambers are also used to treat local civilians in emergencies.

"We don't just treat patients from Travis," said Lt Col Hector Ramirz, hyperbaric staff physician. "We newly treated a Sacramento County sheriff for carbon monoxide poisoning. The consequence was great, and he was real happy we were able to help."

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