Carrying oxygen to the outermost reaches of the body is the most important function of blood flow. Therefore, a sudden cut-off of oxygen due to near drowning would leave all the body's cells severely oxygen-deprived. Other "near-death" experiences from a lack of blood and thus oxygen flow would be near hanging, CO poisoning, cardiac arrest, electrocution, drug overdose, prolonged hypoglycemia (diabetic), surgical accidents, and anesthetic mishaps, all causing a series of events leading to cell "explosion", death of cells and surrounding tissue, and death if the victim is not rescued.

Even when rescued, however, most victims of these near-death experiences are left in a vegetative coma and facing years of expensive nursing home or rehabilitative care not to mention the incalculable grief of loved ones.

At the Brain Therapeutics Medical Center, be believe that if a person is rescued short of death, the obvious counteracton to a near suffocation experience would be oxygen. The earlier the onset of hyperbaric oxygen therapy the better the prognosis. In fact, as with any other traumatic brain injury, we recommend the victim come to clinic immediately . SPECT images (shows a picture of blood flow to the brain, and areas of deficit, damage and more) have shown where the application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy frequently results in a permanent improvement in both flow and metabolism and thus a reversal of the changes that occurred after a near drowning or suffocation experience.

Studies by Neubauer and others have shown a direct correlation between the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy with the improved cerebral oxygenation and clinical improvement in all cases seen. Researchers state that if it would be possible to apply the hyperbaric oxgyen within 3 hours of the incident, it is entirely possible to greatly limit the damage from lack of oxygen.