Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Practice Test

Using hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to control C. perfringens is considered:

1. Bactericidal to the organism

2. Bacterostatic to the organism

3. Virulent to the organism

4. Inhibitory to the organism

The correct answer is: Bacterostatic to the organism

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) is primarily recognized for its ability to enhance the delivery of oxygen to tissues under conditions of increased atmospheric pressure. In the case of *Clostridium perfringens*, a bacterium associated with gas gangrene and other infections, HBO therapy creates an environment that is unfavorable for the survival and proliferation of the bacteria. The rationale behind classifying HBO therapy as bacteriostatic involves its effect on the growth and reproduction of *C. perfringens*. While HBO does not outright kill the bacteria (which would be classified as bactericidal), it significantly reduces their ability to multiply and can halt the progression of infection. By increasing the partial pressure of oxygen, it creates a condition where the bacteria’s metabolic processes are inhibited, thereby preventing further growth. In contrast, the notion of a treatment being virulent refers to its ability to cause disease or infection, which doesn’t apply in this context. Similarly, "inhibitory" could suggest a general slowing of growth, but "bacteriostatic" more specifically denotes that the therapy actively prevents replication without killing the organism outright.