OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A 5-year-old boy was killed in a hyperbaric chamber explosion at a healthcare facility in Oakland County.
First responders were called to reports of the explosion shortly before 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, at the Oxford Center in Troy. They said the 5-year-old boy was dead when first responders arrived at the scene. The boy’s mother was also injured.
The fire department said the facility will be closed “until further notice” while they continue to investigate the explosion. There was no extensive damage to the facility itself.
---> Original report: Child killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion at Oakland County healthcare facility
What is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing 100% pure oxygen.
During a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) session, a patient is placed in a hyperbaric chamber and the air pressure inside is raised to a level that is higher than normal air pressure, according to the FDA.
The increased air pressure helps the lungs collect more oxygen, getting more oxygen to the tissues that need it. The treatment can help the body heal and fight certain infections.
The FDA notes that too much oxygen can cause damage to the body. Because of this, the FDA regulates both the oxygen used in HBOT and the hyperbaric chambers.
Risks of hyperbaric oxygen therapy
HBOT is considered generally safe. The FDA said that serious complications are rare when chambers are used for treatment cleared by the FDA.
Here is the FDA’s list of potential risks:
- Ear and sinus pain
- Middle ear injuries, including tympanic membrane rupture
- Temporary vision changes
- Lung collapse (rare)
The FDA noted that because of the high concentrations of oxygen, there is a risk of fire. The risk of fire is “one reason why the FDA recommends treatment at an accredited facility.”
Accredited hyperbaric chambers in Michigan
The FDA recommends those who need treatment get it at an accredited facility saying, “Explosions and fires have occurred in HBOT chambers that have not been reviewed by the FDA and are located at unaccredited facilities.”
The FDA said the facility should be accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, though accreditation is not a requirement. According to the UHMS map, only two locations in Michigan have been accredited, and they are in Grand Rapids and Niles.
In a statement to Local 4, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) said that state law does not require hyperbaric oxygen facilities to be licensed or regulated by LARA.
According to the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, accreditation is only required by insurance companies in upstate New York and Utah. It is not an insurance requirement in Michigan.
How does the accreditation process work?
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society sends a manual to the location to make sure they’re up to the codes. Then they sent out a team, which consists of a physician, nurse, and technician who specializes in the field. The inspection takes two days.
The inspection focuses on safety, patient care, and quality of care. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society said there haven’t been any fire or explosive incidents at any accredited facilities since 2001, which is when the accreditation process started.
The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society is pushing for accreditation to be a requirement for insurance.
What hyperbaric oxygen therapy treats
According to the FDA, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is known for treating scuba and deep-sea divers affected by the rapid change in pressure around them.
The FDA said it can also be used to treat other health problems, including carbon monoxide poisoning and diabetic foot ulcers. The increased air pressure in the chamber helps the lungs collect more oxygen, which can get more oxygen to the tissues that need, and help the body heal and fight certain infections.
As of July 2021, the FDA has only cleared hyperbaric chambers for 13 disorders. HBOT is being studied for other conditions, including COVID-19, but the FDA has not cleared or authorized the use of any HBOT device to treat anything other than the 13 disorders listed.
Here are the 13 disorders the FDA has cleared for hyperbaric chambers:
- Air and gas bubbles in blood vessels
- Anemia (severe anemia when blood transfusions cannot be used)
- Burns (severe and large burns treated at a specialized burn center)
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Crush injury
- Decompression sickness (diving risk)
- Gas gangrene
- Hearing loss (complete hearing loss that occurs suddenly and without any known cause)
- Infection of the skin and bone (severe)
- Radiation injury
- Skin graft flap at risk of tissue death
- Vision loss (when sudden and painless in one eye due to blockage of blood flow)
- Wounds (non-healing, diabetic foot ulcers)
As of Jan. 31, 2025, the Oxford Center had more than 100 conditions listed on its website in the hyperbaric oxygen therapy page as “conditions treated.” The embedded list below compares the Oxford Center’s list with the list from the FDA.
Police, fire departments hold press conference
The Troy Police Department and fire department held a press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, to share details of the explosion.
