Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2015) 37 EP504 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.37.EP504

ECE2015 Eposter Presentations Diabetes (complications & therapy) (143 abstracts)

Topical wound pressurised oxygen therapy: new approach in treatment of diabetic foot ulcers?

Maja Čavlović Naglić , Maja Bakula & Lea Smirčić Duvnjak


Merkur University Clinic, Zagreb, Croatia.


Introduction: Topical wound oxygen therapy (TWO2) is therapeutic modality that delivers humidified pressurised O2 directly to the specific body part to achieve tissue penetration and increased O2 levels to the open ischaemia wound. O2 is vital in the synthesis of collagen, enhancement of fibroblasts, angiogenesis, leukocyte function, energy metabolism, and the inhibition of mycrobial growth. TWO2 therapy has showed effectiveness as an adjunctive therapy for the management of acute and chronic diabetic foot ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, pressure ulcers, and mixed ulcers.

Materials and methods: Five male patients aged 50–77 years with chronic diabetic foot ulcers grade 2A or worse according to the University of Texas wound Classification system (UTI) and ankle–brachial index (ABI) at least 0.5 in the affected limb were treated with TWO2 60 min daily, Monday through Friday for 6 weeks. Wound size measuring, microbiological samples, and digital photography of the wound were done once weekly. Wounds were debrided prior to therapy by the vascular surgeon, who assessed the wound every 7–10 days and debrided it if necessary. If infection was present antibiotics were given according to the antibiogram.

Results: Wound area reduced from average 8.86–2.54 cm2. Ulcer classification changed from UTI 2-B, 2-C and 2-D to 1-A and 0-A. Infection was absent in all wounds comparing to four infected wounds at the beginning.

Conclusion: Although current studies have shown effectiveness of TWO2 in treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, there are no specific cost effectiveness studies completed and there have been no studies found that show improved quality of life for patients receiving TWO2. The most important thing is that there are no standardised protocols for TWO2. So, randomised control studies are needed to increase the evidence around the use and effectiveness of TWO2 therapy and to establish optimal parameters for use.

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