Silver-Collagen Dressing and High-voltage, Pulsed-current Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Full-thickness Wounds: A Case Series.

Research suggests high-voltage, pulsed-current electric therapy (HVPC) is safe and effective for treating chronic wounds, and some data suggest silver- and collagen-based dressings may facilitate healing. A combination therapy utilizing both HVPC and silver-collagen dressing may present clinical advantages. To explore the effect of the combined therapy for chronic full-thickness wounds, a prospective, consecutive case series study was conducted. All participants were adults with wounds of at least 6 weeks' duration. After obtaining informed consent, patient and wound characteristics were obtained, wounds were assessed and measured, and patients received 2 to 3 HVPC treatments per week followed by application of the silver- and collagen-based dressing for a period of 2 weeks. Data were analyzed descriptively, and changes in wound size and volume from baseline were analyzed using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The dressings were saturated with normal saline, used simultaneously during the 45-minute HVPC treatment, and left on top of the wound after treatment. The HVPC electro pads (stainless steel electrodes with a sponge interface) also were moistened with normal saline and the cathode placed on top of the wound. If the patient had more than 1 wound on the same leg, the anode was placed on the additional wound (otherwise over the intact skin nearby). Secondary dressings (eg, foam and/ or gauze) were used as clinically appropriate, and a 4-layer compression wrap was used, if indicated, for patients with venous ulcers. Ten (10) patients (3 women, 7 men, 57.30 ± 9.70 years old with 14 wounds of 273.10 ± 292.03 days' duration before study) completed the study and were included in the final analyses. Average wound surface area decreased from 13.78 ± 21.35 cm(2) to 9.07 ± 16.81 cm(2) (42.52% ± 34.16% decrease, P = 0.002) and wound volume decreased from 3.39 ± 4.31 cm(3) to 1.28 ± 2.25 cm(3) (66.84% ± 25.07% decrease, P = 0.001). One (1) patient was discharged with complete wound closure. No serious adverse events were noted, but a diagnosis of osteomyelitis in 1 patient and increased pain in a patient with significant Reynaud's syndrome suggest clinicians should be cautious using HVPC in these instances. The combined intervention utilizing both HVPC and silver-collagen dressing was effective in the treatment of chronic fullthickness wounds in this patient population. Controlled clinical studies of longer duration are needed to further explore the safety, effectiveness, and efficacy of this treatment.

Physical Therapy in Wound Care: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Management of chronic wounds remains unsatisfactory in terms of treatment cost and time required for complete wound closure (CWC).This study aimed to calculate the healing rates, estimated cost, and time required for CWC in wounds; compare estimated wound care costs between healing and nonhealing wounds; and compare cost effectiveness between venous leg ulcer (VLU) and non-VLU.This was a retrospective cohort study performed at a physical therapy (PT) wound care clinic. Deidentified patient data in the electronic medical database from September 10, 2012 to January 23, 2015 were extracted.Among 159 included patients with wounds, 119 (74.84%) patients were healed with CWC. The included patients were treated for 109.70 ±â€Š95.70 days, 29.71 ±â€Š25.66 visits, and at the costs per treatment episode of $1629.65 ±â€Š1378.82 per reimbursement rate and $2711.42 ±â€Š2356.81 per breakeven rate. For patients with CWC (healing group), the treatment duration was 98.01 ±â€Š76.12 days with the time for CWC as 72.45 ±â€Š64.21 days; the cost per treatment episode was $1327.24 ±â€Š1143.53 for reimbursement rate and $2492.58 ±â€Š2106.88 for breakeven cost. For patients with nonhealing wounds, treatment duration was found to be longer with costs significantly higher (P < 0.01 for all). In the healing group, no differences were found between VLU and non-VLU in treatment duration (95.46 days vs. 100.88 days, P = 0.698), time for CWC (68.06 days vs. 77.38 days, P = 0.431), and cost ($2756.78 vs. 2397.84 for breakeven rate, P = 0.640) with the exception of wound dressing costs ($329.19 vs. 146.47, P = 0.001).Healing rates may be affected with patient exclusions. Costs at physicians' offices were not included.Incorporation of PT in wound care appeared to be cost effective. PT may thus be a good referral option for patients with wounds. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously and further studies are warranted.

Management of a Dehisced Hand Wound Using Hydrogen Peroxide, Electrical Stimulation, Silver-containing Dressings, and Compression: A Case Study.

Wound dehiscence is the separation of a wound along surgical sutures. A 57-year-old, otherwise healthy mechanic presented with a large open wound of >1 month duration on his left hand. His wound had dehisced after treatment that involved cleansing, surgical sutures, and oral antibiotics. He presented with a 5.0 cmx0.7 cmx0.3 cm lesion through the palmar creases of the hand with edema around the fourth and fifth digits and a callous formation around the distal portion of the wound. The wound had scant serosanguinous drainage and some induration at the periwound area, as well as a moderate foul odor. Tendons were not affected, but function was limited, the hand was painful, and the patient had been unable to work. Treatment was initiated with twice-a-week immersion of the hand in hydrogen peroxide diluted with water subjected to high-voltage pulsed current electric stimulation (HVPC). The wound was dressed with silver-containing dressings secured with stretch gauze and a compression garment. The wound was completely closed after 9 visits (35 days). No functional limitations of the hand or fingers, no cosmetic defect, and no wound recurrence were noted 9 months after healing. Although uncommon, dehisced wounds, especially in certain anatomical locations such as the hand, can be difficult to heal and may cause long-term problems with functioning. The treatment combination facilitated expedient healing of this dehisced hand wound. Research is needed to help elucidate the observations from this case study.