ISSN:
1524-475X
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Although electrical stimulation (ES) has been successful in the treatment of various types of wounds, the popularity of the treatment has waned due to a lack of optimal methods of administration. The goal of this study has been to develop and evaluate a method of delivering ES that is easy to use and suitable for delivery in a home-health environment.[0] Specifically, a novel bandage system developed to provide an electric field in a manner resembling the natural wound current was tested in vivo. In this study, a full-thickness wound model in New Zealand white rabbits was used to measure the effects of such a bandage system on healing of [0]skin defects. Different levels of current were evaluated initially, with 50 and 20 μA selected for the focus of this study, along with a non-stimulated control. Using histomorphometry healing rates, cellularity, and blood vessels were quantified at one and two week time points.The study showed the ability of this ES bandage to speed the healing process. An increase in overall healing rate over non-stimulated wounds of 45%(p = 0.04) was observed in wounds stimulated with 50 μA of current for 1 week. In wounds treated for 2 weeks, contraction rate decreased as well as the ratio of contraction rate to epithelialization rate. The stimulated wounds also showed an increase in the amount of macrophages, with a 79% increase in number of macrophages in wounds stimulated with 20 μA for 2 weeks and a 198% increase in macrophages in those stimulated with 50 μA compared to non-stimulated wounds. The performance of the bandage in the animal model has led to a limited clinical study on pressure ulcer patients using the 50 μA system. Acknowledgements: This project was funded through Biofisica and the CDC through NCIPC.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1067-1927.2004.0abstracty.x
