OHIP
COVERED
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
"Treating the 14 conditions covered by OHIP"
Ontario HBOT
Conditions
Fourteen
The
The following are the 14 conditions covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan). Anyone seeking treatment must have a valid OHIP card at the time of their first treatment. It is also important to note that these conditions are widely recognized by other provincial health plans, therefore in most cases, we are able to accept those with out-of-province health cards.
A Doctor's referral with supporting documentation of your condition is preferred. Individuals may personally submit supporting documentation via fax, or bring them to our facility in-person, to be assessed by our Medical Team. Please DO NOT send any personal health information (PHI) via email, as that is a non-secure form of transmitting data.
Air or Gas Embolism
An embolism is a moving obstruction in the bloodstream. An air or gas bubble can obstruct blood flow and damage the brain, the heart, or other vital organs and tissues, resulting in pain or death. Permanent disabilities may include vision impairment, paralysis, and respiratory problems.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning is caused by exposure to a colourless, odourless gas known as carbon monoxide (CO). CO is found in combustion fumes. CO poisoning is usually caused by car or truck exhaust, wood stoves, and other fuel burning appliances, smoke from a fire or blocked fireplaces, nonelectric heaters, malfunctioning gas appliances, and faulty heating exhaust systems in the home or garage.
Chronic Anemia
Patients who develop exceptional anemia have lost significant oxygen carrying capacity in the blood. These patients become candidates for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) when they are unable to receive blood products because of religious or medical reasons. The major oxygen carrier in human blood is hemoglobin, transporting 1.34 mL of oxygen per gram.
Chronic Non-Healing Wound
Millions of individuals suffer from chronic wounds that will not heal. Often, these wounds won’t heal due to a variety of factors such as obesity, age, diet, circulatory problems, diabetes, arthritis, kidney disease and smoking.These wounds can become infected, requiring amputation in extreme cases, if not treated in a timely and effective manner.
Compromised Skin Grafts & Flaps
Most skin grafts and flaps in normal hosts heal well. In patients with compromised circulation, this may not be the case. Patients with diabetes or vasculopathy from another etiology and patients who have irradiated tissue are particularly subject to flap or graft compromise. In these patients, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been demonstrated to be useful.
Crush Injury & Compartment Syndrome
Acute peripheral traumatic ischemia includes those injuries that are caused by trauma that leads to ischemia and edema; a gradient of injury exists. This category contains crush injuries as well as compartment syndrome. Crush injuries often result in poor outcome because of the body’s attempt to manage the primary injury. The body then develops more injury due to the reperfusion response.
Decompression Sickness "The Bends"
Decompression sickness (DCS) refers to symptoms caused by blocked blood supply, damage from direct mechanical effects, or later biochemical actions from suspected bubbles evolving from inert gas dissolved in blood or tissues when atmospheric pressure decreases too rapidly. DCS can occur after scuba diving, ascent with flying, or hypobaric or hyperbaric exposure.
Delayed Radiation Injury (Radiation Necrosis)
Radiation therapy causes acute, subacute, and delayed injuries. Acute and subacute injuries are generally self-limited. However, delayed injuries are often much more difficult to treat and may appear anywhere from 6 months to years after treatment. They generally are seen after a minimum dose of 6000 cGy.
Gas Gangrene (Clostridial Myonecrosis)
Gas gangrene, also called clostridial myositis or myonecrosis, is a severe and rapidly spreading infection of muscle and other soft tissue. The bacteria that cause gas gangrene, of the species clostridium, most commonly Clostridium perfringens, produce liquid and gaseous poisons (toxins) that inflame (myositis) or kill (myonecrosis) healthy tissue.
Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is a relatively rare cause of sensorineural hearing loss of at least 30 dB in three contiguous frequencies over three days. An associated common complaint in 90% of patients is tinnitus, usually unilateral. Patients can also present with a sensation of fullness or a blocked ear or vertigo.
Intracranial Abscess (Brain Infections)
An intracranial abscess is an accumulation of pus and other matter within the skull. Depending on the location of the abscess and the severity of inflammation and swelling, pressure against the brain may cause mild or severe neurologic symptoms, coma, or death. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to survival.
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
These infections may be single aerobic or anaerobic but are more often mixed infections that often occur as a result of trauma, surgical wounds, or foreign bodies, including subcutaneous and muscular injection of contaminated street drugs. They are often seen in compromised hosts who have diabetes or a vasculopathy of another type.
Osteomyelitis (Bone Infection)
Refractory osteomyelitis is defined as acute or chronic osteomyelitis that is not cured after appropriate interventions. More often than not, refractory osteomyelitis is seen in patients whose systems are compromised. This condition often results in non-healing wounds, sinus tracts, and, in the worst case, more aggressive infections that require amputation.
Thermal Burns
Thermal burns present a multifactorial tissue injury that culminates in a marked inflammatory response with vascular derangement from activated platelets and white cell adhesion with resultant edema, hypoxia, and vulnerability to severe infection. Poor white cell function caused by the local environment exacerbates this problem.
Medical Records
In order to qualify for OHIP coverage for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we generally require a certain number of medical records to support your condition.
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Imaging, scans, photos
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Consultation notes from referring physician / specialist
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List of current prescription medication
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Other documentation related to your condition
For conditions such as ISSHL (idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss), and chronic non-healing wounds, documentation will be requested throughout your protocol in order to monitor healing progress e.g. audiologist performed hearing test, wound care nurse progress report.
FAX NUMBER: 416-781-4268
MD Supervised
Physician on Site
When OHIP coverage is confirmed, the patient has an initial consultation with a hyperbaric physician to determine the recommended number of treatments and optimal atmospheric pressure.
Throughout your time with us at our facility, we encourage all patients to maintain an open dialogue with our medical care team in regards to any questions, concerns, or updates.
We are all here to ensure you are getting the most out of this very time-intensive therapy!
