Cold Plasma Helped To Heal Ulcers In Diabetic Foot

Cold plasma helped to heal ulcers in diabetic foot

Under its action, the surface of the wounds was significantly reduced in comparison with the effect of the standard treatment method.

Photo: adtecplasma.com

Treatment of diabetic feet with cold atmospheric plasma showed good results. When added to standard treatments, ulcers heal faster than standard treatments alone. A study that confirmed the effectiveness of the method was published in the JAMA Network Open.

Diabetic foot is a common complication of diabetes mellitus, characterized by the appearance of ulcers that do not heal for a long time. This condition can lead to leg amputation and is accompanied by a severe decrease in the quality of life. In Europe, diabetic foot ulcers occur in 5.1% of diabetics.

Scientists have previously proposed cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) to improve wound healing. It is believed that it owes its therapeutic effect to the reactive forms of the gas.

By the ninth visit to the doctor in patients receiving CAP therapy, the unhealed surface of the leg ulcer was on average 30.5%. In diabetics who received only standard treatment, most of the wound remained unhealed - 55%.

Scientists report that CAP did not reduce the number of microbes on the wound surface and did not alleviate the course of wound infection. The general state of health of patients and pain at this stage of treatment also did not differ among patients who received or did not receive CAP treatment.

The number of side effects in the CAP treatment group and in the placebo group did not differ practically. These include post-treatment scarring, skin irritation, bleeding.

"The use of HAP has the potential to lead to earlier discharge from the hospital, which is important for both patients and health workers," the scientists write.

The study involved 45 patients who had a total of 65 diabetic foot ulcers. 33 patients were in the experimental treatment group and 32 in the placebo group.

Scientists emphasize the convenience of CAP therapy: it does not require specialized cents, it can be used for wounds of different depths, for chronic ulcers.