Transdermal Oxygen Delivery to Diabetic Wounds: A Report of 6 Cases

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of a transdermal sustained oxygen delivery system to promote the healing of chronic lower extremity wounds in patients with diabetes. METHODS: Six patients (5 men, 1 woman; age range, 32-77 years) with diabetes and chronic lower extremity wounds unresponsive to previous multimodal therapy were treated with transdermal sustained oxygen. The transdermal sustained oxygen delivery device (EpiFLO; Ogenix Corp, Cleveland, Ohio) delivered 100% oxygen at 3 mL/h with ambient humidity, 24 h/day, directly to the wound site, which was covered by an occlusive dressing. RESULTS: Despite chronicity of wounds (aged 4 months to >15 years) and nonresponsiveness to previous treatments, all wounds in this case series treated with transdermal sustained oxygen therapy improved within 2 to 20 weeks, within which time 5 of the 6 wounds had healed completely. In 2 cases, scheduled amputations were prevented. CONCLUSION: The results of the 6 cases reported here strongly support the use of transdermal sustained oxygen therapy in promoting the healing of diabetic foot and leg ulcers refractory to previous treatments. In addition, amputation was prevented in 2 cases, thus reducing prolonged costly patient care.