A PROSPECTIVE STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF A NEW 3-ARRAY ELECTRICAL STIMULATION THERAPY IN COMBINATION

WITH LOCAL HEAT ON HEALIING OF CHRONIC WOUNDS

Hyperbaric Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical CenterSchool of Allied Health Profession, Loma Linda UniversityPhysical Therapy Department, Azusa Pacific University

HyeJin Suh, DScc, Jerrold Petrofsky, PhD, Tina Yu, BS, Patrick Moore, MBA, RCP, RRT, Tiffany Pfeifer, BS, Theresa Morawsk, BS, Takkin Lo, MD, MPH, CHT

Introduction

Electrical stimulation (ES) has been used as an adjunct to wound care. However, the beneficial effects have been controversial. The resting blood flow was thought to be a limiting factor because preliminary evidence indicates that, when the tissue is pre-warmed and ES is applied, severe chronic wounds heal faster. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed 3 array electrical stimulation in combination with local heat on non-healing chronic wounds. Methods

10 subjects, with an age range of 21 to 79 years, with chronic ulcers received ES treatment three times a week for 4 weeks. The average age was 43.4+/-20.4 years, average duration of the wound was 34.2+/-25.6 months, average wound area was 7.4+/-1.4cm2, and the average wound volume was 10.9+/-3.4 cm3. A heat lamp was used before and during ES to keep the wound warm (98.6°F). ES was applied for 30 minutes with biphasic sine wave

Results

The average wound area significantly decreased by 66.2+/-32.6% (p=0.06) and wound volume decreased by 64.5+/-26.0% (p=0.2) over 4-week period. BF increased with ES, while the additional of local heat further increased BF.

Conclusions

In this preliminary study, application of a 3-array electrical stimulation, in combination with local heat, significantly increased skin blood flow in and around the wound and revealed a trend towards statistical significance.

Skin blood flow changes every 10 minutes throughout the treatment

Wound Area Changes(length x width)

Wound Volume Changes(length x width x depth)

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apply a heat lamp 30 cm above the wound to keep the wound warm

(98.6°F)

stimulation at a frequency of 30 Hertz,

pulse width 250 microseconds, and a current of about 20 mA. Skin blood flow (BF) in and around the wound was measured every 10 minutes with a Laser Doppler Flow Imager throughout the treatments. Wound size was measured prior to each treatment. A T-test was used for statistical analysis.

arrangement of 3 electrodes around wound in medial mallelous