Evaluation of the Healing Progress of Pressure Ulcers Treated with Cathodal High-Voltage Monophasic Pulsed Current: Results of a Prospective, Double-blind, Randomized Clinical Trial. (October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Polak, Anna; Kloth, Luther C.; Blaszczak, Edward; Taradaj, Jakub; Nawrat-Szoltysik, Agnieszka; Walczak, Anna; Bialek, Lidia; Paczula, Malgorzata; Franek, Andrzej; Kucio, Cezary
• Is Part Of: Advances in skin & wound care. Volume 29:Number 10(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-10
• Subjects: high-voltage monophasic pulsed current wound healing -- pressure ulcers; electrical stimulation; Wounds and injuries -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Wound healing -- Periodicals; Skin -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Dermatology -- United States -- Periodicals; 617.106
• DOI: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000493164.75337.de
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1527-7941

Abstract

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of high-voltage monophasic pulsed current (HVMPC) as an adjunct to a standard wound care for the treatment of Stage II and III pressure ulcers (PrUs). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical study. SETTING: Two nursing and care centers. PATIENTS: Patients with PrUs that did not respond to previous treatment for at least 4 weeks were randomly assigned to the electrical stimulation (ES) group (25 patients; mean age of 79.92 ± 8.50 years; mean wound surface area [WSA] of 10.58 ± 10.57 cm 2 ) or to the control group (24 patients; mean age of 76.33 ± 12.74 years; mean WSA of 9.71 ± 6.70 cm 2 ). INTERVENTIONS: Both the ES and control groups received standard wound care and respectively, cathodal HVMPC (154 microseconds; 100 pulses per second; 0.24 A; 250 μ/s) applied continuously for 50 minutes once a day, 5 times a week, or sham HVMPC. MAIN OUTCOME: Percentage area reduction over 6 weeks of intervention. MAIN RESULTS: In the ES group, there was a statistically significant decrease in WSA after 1 week of treatment (35% ± 30.5%) compared with 17.07% ± 34.13% in the control group ( P = .032). After treatment, at week 6, percentage area reduction in the ES group was 80.31% ± 29.02% versus 54.65% ± 42.65% in the control group ( P = .046). CONCLUSIONS: Cathodal HVMPC reduces the WSA of Stage II and III PrUs. The results are consistent with the results of other researchers who used HVMPC to treat PrUs.