What To Expect

A person typically recovers from carbon monoxide poisoning within a few days. But it is important to remember that long-term effects may occur days or weeks after carbon monoxide poisoning.

How Well It Works

It is not clear if hyperbaric oxygen treatments work better than oxygen therapy at normal pressure to reduce the risk of cognitive problems, such as lasting damage to memory, attention, and concentration.^{footnote 1, footnote 2}

In pregnant women who have been exposed to carbon monoxide, hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces the time needed to lower carbon monoxide levels in fetal blood, which increases the chances for a healthy baby. The fetus has a higher risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, because it takes longer for carbon monoxide to be eliminated from fetal blood than from the mother’s blood.^{footnote 3}

What To Think About

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers are located only at specialty medical centers or major hospitals.

Hyperbaric oxygen chambers also are used to treat people who have decompression sickness from scuba diving. In addition, they may be used to treat diabetic ulcers, some infections, burns, and other kinds of injuries.