Boy's death raises concerns about unregulated hyperbaric oxygen therapy
A 5-year-old's death in a Michigan hyperbaric chamber has sparked calls for more oversight of unsupervised hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the wellness industry.
The death of a 5-year-old in a hyperbaric chamber in Michigan has prompted calls for more oversight of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the largely unsupervised wellness industry before another tragedy occurs.
Thomas Cooper was killed Jan. 31 when a fire broke out in a hyperbaric chamber at the Oxford Center, an alternative medicine clinic in the Detroit suburb of Troy. On Monday, the Oxford Center founder and CEO and three of her employees were charged in Thomas’ death.
Thomas Cooper, 5, of Royal Oak, Mich. Courtesy family of Thomas CooperHyperbaric chambers are pressurized, tubelike devices that people lie or sit in for treatment, depending on the type of chamber. The therapy involves breathing in air that consists of 100% oxygen, which helps the body heal more quickly but also creates a highly combustible environment. The treatment method has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to help over a dozen conditions including carbon monoxide poisoning, severe wounds and decompression sickness in scuba divers.
The Oxford Center’s website lists over 100 conditions it says it treats, including many that the FDA has not approved for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, such as cancer, dyslexia, Alzheimer’s, Lyme disease and autism — though it is not illegal to use hyperbaric chambers for these purposes. In a statement to NBC News, an attorney for the Oxford Center said the center was “disappointed” by the charges filed against four staff members.
“The timing of these charges is surprising, as the typical protocol after a fire-related accident has not yet been completed. There are still outstanding questions about how this occurred,” Sam Vitale said via email about Thomas' death.
Rating: 5