Hyperbaric chamber explosion kills Michigan 5-year-old, injures mother

A 5-year-old lad receiving attraction astatine a Michigan aesculapian halfway died aft the hyperbaric chamber helium was successful exploded.

The blast occurred connected Friday astatine The Oxford Medical Center successful Troy, conscionable northbound of Detroit, according to statements from the Troy constabulary and occurrence departments.

When archetypal responders arrived connected the country astir 8 a.m., they discovered a kid dormant wrong the exploded hyperbaric chamber. The boy’s sanction has not been released, but authorities person confirmed helium was a 5-year-old from Royal Oak. It’s not wide what helium was being treated for.

The boy’s parent was besides injured successful the blast. Police said she was lasting adjacent the enclosure erstwhile it exploded, resulting successful injuries to some of her arms.

Staff from the halfway were besides successful the country astatine the time, but they were not wounded successful the incident. Officials said the detonation was contained to the enclosure and firefighters were capable to rapidly enactment retired the resulting flames.

“Nothing similar this has happened successful our more than 15 years of providing this benignant of therapy,” the Oxford Center said successful a statement. “We bash not cognize wherefore oregon however this happened and volition enactment successful each of the investigations that present request to instrumentality place.”

A hyperbaric enclosure contains 100% oxygen, which is up to 3 times the magnitude of oxygen successful a mean room, Troy Fire Lt. Keith Young told reporters during a quality league Friday. The enclosure is utilized to increase the delivery of oxygen to a person’s assemblage by pushing axenic oxygen into an enclosed abstraction with higher than mean aerial pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic.

While the attraction tin assistance a slew of aesculapian issues — from poisoning to crush injuries and decompression sickness — it is not without its risks.

“The beingness of specified a precocious magnitude of oxygen successful a pressurized situation tin marque it highly combustible,” Young said. “We did immoderate archetypal investigation. This is precise uncommon, truthful we’re not definite what led up to it.”

The probe into the detonation and occurrence volition beryllium turned implicit to the state, Young said.

With News Wire Services