Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether electric stimulation therapy (EST) administered
as part of a community-based, interdisciplinary wound care program accelerates
healing of pressure ulcers in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN:
Single-blind, parallel-group, randomized, controlled, clinical trial. SETTING:
Community-based home care setting, Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Adults (N=34;
mean age +/- SD, 51+/-14y) with SCI and stage II to IV pressure ulcers.
INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were stratified based on wound severity and duration and
randomly assigned to receive either a customized, community-based standard wound
care (SWC) program that included pressure management or the wound care program
plus high-voltage pulsed current applied to the wound bed (EST+SWC). MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Wound healing measured by reduction in wound size and improvement in
wound appearance at 3 months of treatment with EST+SWC or SWC. RESULTS: The
percentage decrease in wound surface area (WSA) at the end of the intervention
period was significantly greater in the EST+SWC group (mean +/- SD, 70+/-25%)
than in the SWC group (36+/-61%; P=.048). The proportion of stage III, IV, or X
pressure ulcers improving by at least 50% WSA was significantly greater in the
EST+SWC group than in the SWC group (P=.02). Wound appearance assessed using the
photographic wound assessment tool was improved in wounds treated with EST+SWC
but not SWC alone. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that EST can stimulate
healing of pressure ulcers of people with SCI. EST can be incorporated
successfully into an interdisciplinary wound care program in the community.

Langue : ANGLAIS