Chamber Categories

H Hyperbaric chambers operated by BHA members fall into one of four different categories, depending on the facility’s availability, capabilities and other factors. You can find full details of the criteria below:

Category 1 (Multiplace)

Category 2 (Multiplace)

Category 3 (Multiplace)

Category 4 (Monoplace)

Category 1 (Multiplace) Chambers

Note

Category 1 facilities should be capable of receiving patients in any diagnostic category who may require Advanced Life Support either immediately or during hyperbaric treatment.

Comprehensive hyperbaric facilities capable of supporting the treatment of patients who are critically ill, from any cause, and who may require hyperbaric intensive therapy.

Multiplace chambers capable of supporting the treatment of patients who are critically ill from any cause and who may require hyperbaric intensive therapy; such facilities offer Advanced Life Support.

Clinical Equipment

Clinical Equipment to be available for use both inside and outside the chamber should include indirect blood pressure equipment, stethoscope, auriscope / ophthalmoscope, thermometer and neurological equipment; also equipment for urinary catheterisation, intravenous infusions and emergency drainage of pneumothorax.

Monitoring Equipment

Monitoring Equipment to be available for use both inside and outside the chamber should include ECG, pulse oximetry, capnography and invasive blood pressure equipment. Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring should be considered for use in chambers where wound management is conducted.

Resuscitation Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment to be available for use both inside and outside the chamber should be capable of providing for Advanced Life Support, including defibrillator, artificial ventilator, intravenous infusion equipment, suction, airway establishment and maintenance, and relevant drugs. Relevant additional equipment for the safe transfer of the patient to an intensive care facility should also be available outside the chamber.

Category 2 (Multiplace) Chambers

Note

Category 2 facilities should be capable of receiving patients in any diagnostic category who are judged by the referring medical officer not to be likely to require Advanced Life Support during hyperbaric treatment.

Facilities capable of receiving elective or emergency referrals for any accepted application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy but excluding patients who are critically ill at the time of referral or are considered likely to become so.

Multiplace chambers capable of receiving elective or emergency referrals for any accepted application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, but excluding patients who are critically ill at time of referral or who are likely to become so; such facilities offer Basic Life Support.

Clinical Equipment

Clinical Equipment to be available for use both inside and outside the chamber should include indirect blood pressure equipment, stethoscope, auriscope / ophthalmoscope, thermometer, neurological equipment; also equipment for urinary catheterisation, intravenous infusions and emergency drainage of pneumothorax.

Monitoring Equipment

Monitoring Equipment provided either inside or outside the chamber should be at the discretion of the Medical Director but might include ECG, pulse oximetry, capnography or invasive blood pressure equipment. Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring should be considered for use in chambers where wound management is conducted.

Resuscitation Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment available for use inside the chamber should be capable of providing for Basic Life Support including suction and airway establishment, with maintenance of ventilation effected by a reservoir bag. Outside the chamber this should be augmented with the means of maintaining an airway and effecting cardiac resuscitation; a defibrillator, intravenous infusion equipment and relevant drugs should be available. Provision of an artificial ventilator would be at the discretion of the Medical Director.

Category 3 (Multiplace) Chambers

Note

Category 3 facilities should be capable of receiving emergency referrals of divers and compressed air tunnel workers. These facilities should also be capable of providing elective treatment of residual symptoms of decompression illness. Patients may be accepted, in the name of the Medical Director, even when no Hyperbaric Duty Doctor is available at the time of referral provided, in the view of the referring clinician, the patient’s condition demands immediate action. This does not obviate the need for discussion with the Hyperbaric Duty Doctor who should attend the patient as soon as is practicable.

Facilities without some of the capabilities of Categories 1or 2 sited specifically for the treatment of diving emergencies.

Multiplace chambers specifically intended for the treatment of decompression illness; such facilities offer Basic Life Support.

Clinical Equipment

Clinical Equipment to be available for use both inside and outside the chamber should include indirect blood pressure equipment, stethoscope, auriscope / ophthalmoscope, thermometer and simple neurological equipment; also equipment for urinary catheterisation, intravenous infusions and emergency drainage of pneumothorax.

Monitoring Equipment

Monitoring Equipment provided either inside or outside the chamber should be at the discretion of the Medical Director.

Resuscitation Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment to be available for use both inside and outside the chamber should be capable of providing for Basic Life Support including suction and airway establishment with maintenance of ventilation effected by a reservoir bag. A defibrillator should normally be available outside the chamber and the provision of other equipment and drugs would be at the discretion of the Medical Director.

Category 4 (Monoplace) Chambers

Note

Category 4 facilities should be capable of receiving elective and emergency referrals of patients in any diagnostic category who are judged by the referring medical officer, on the advice of the Hyperbaric Duty Doctor, not to be likely to require any access du ring hyperbaric treatment. Normally monoplace chambers are not suitable for the immediate treatment of acute decompression illness.

Facilities operating at relatively low pressure and without an air-lock capability. The expectation is that such chambers providing a treatment service on behalf of the NHS or the private health care sector would normally be sited within the boundaries of, or in very close proximity to, a hospital.

Monoplace chambers capable of receiving elective and emergency referrals in any diagnostic category, but who are unlikely to require emergency access during treatment; such facilities offer Basic Life Support and would normally be closely associated with a hospital.

By definition patients cannot be attended within this type of monoplace facility and therefore no drugs or equipment need be held within the chamber. Outside the chamber the following scale is recommended:

Clinical Equipment

Clinical Equipment should include indirect blood pressure equipment, stethoscope, auriscope /ophthalmoscope, thermometer and simple neurological equipment; also equipment for urinary catheterisation, intravenous infusions and emergency drainage of pneumothorax.

Monitoring Equipment

Monitoring Equipment should be at the discretion of the Medical Director but might include ECG, pulse oximetry, capnography or invasive blood pressure equipment. Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring should be considered for use in chambers where wound management is conducted.

Resuscitation Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment should be capable of providing for Basic Life Support including suction and airway establishment with maintenance effected by a reservoir bag. A defibrillator should normally be available and the provision of other equipment and drugs would be at the discretion of the Medical Director.

Category 1 (Multiplace) Chambers

Clinical Equipment

Monitoring Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment

Category 2 (Multiplace) Chambers

Clinical Equipment

Monitoring Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment

Category 3 (Multiplace) Chambers

Clinical Equipment

Monitoring Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment

Category 4 (Monoplace) Chambers

Clinical Equipment

Monitoring Equipment

Resuscitation Equipment

Membership Enquiries

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British Hyperbaric Association