Efficacy of lidocaine wet compress combined with red-light irradiation for chronic wounds

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Research background

Chronic wounds, characterized by a failure to progress through normal healing phases, represent a substantial burden on healthcare systems and patients’ quality of life. Traditional wound care is often painful and may involve frequent dressing changes. Lidocaine wet compression (LWC) and red-light irradiation (RLI) are known for their potential to manage pain and promote healing in chronic wounds.

Research motivation

The need to enhance wound healing, reduce pain during treatment, and decrease the frequency of dressing changes motivated this research. The key problem addressed is the persistent pain and slow healing associated with chronic wounds, and solving this problem has significant implications for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Research objectives

The main objective was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of combining LWC with RLI in treating chronic wounds. Realizing this objective is pivotal for introducing new, effective treatment modalities in wound care management, potentially changing clinical practices.

Research methods

The study involved 150 patients with chronic wounds, randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received LWC+RLI treatment from the second dressing change onward. Pain levels, the number of dressing changes, and the degree of wound healing were systematically assessed and compared between the groups.

Research results

The experimental group reported significantly less pain during the second and third dressing changes compared to the control group. The overall rate of effective wound healing on day 28 was significantly higher in the experimental group. The experimental group required significantly fewer dressing changes within the 28-d period. These findings contribute to the understanding of the combined effects of LWC and RLI on chronic wounds, opening avenues for further research and clinical applications.

Research conclusions

This study unveils new findings on the effectiveness of combining LWC with RLI in managing chronic wounds, highlighting its potential in reducing pain, promoting wound healing, and decreasing the frequency of dressing changes. It provides a holistic view of current knowledge in chronic wound management and offers original insights into the synergistic effects of LWC and RLI. The study implies that the integration of LWC+RLI could be a groundbreaking approach in clinical practices for treating chronic wounds in the future.

Research perspectives

This study serves as a learning cornerstone, suggesting that a combined approach in chronic wound management can yield superior outcomes. Future research should focus on refining this combined approach, exploring its long-term effects, and validating its efficacy across diverse patient populations and wound types. Developing optimized protocols and exploring the economic aspects of implementing this combined approach in clinical settings should be the direction for upcoming research.