Transdermal Wound Oxygen Therapy on Pressure Ulcer Healing: A Single Blind Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Although healthcare quality has considerably improved in many countries, pressure ulcers still a major health challenge worldwide. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of TWOT on the healing of pressure ulcers. Patients and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial, and the convenient sample including 100 patients hospitalized in two university-affiliated medical-surgical intensive care units and one neurology unit located in Qazvin, Iran were studied. Patients with stage II-IV pressure ulcer on the sacral or ischial areas were randomly assigned to either the control or the experimental groups. The experimental group received a 12-day transdermal wound oxygen therapy. Wound status was assessed seven times before the intervention, as well as two, four, six, eight, ten, and twelve days after the intervention. Results: After 12 days of wound oxygen therapy, the number of patients with complete wound healing in the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group. Moreover, the total mean of wound area in the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group. Conclusions: Transdermal wound oxygen therapy can effectively promote wound healing in patients with pressure ulcers.