Chronic wounds are defined as those not proceeding through the orderly phase of tissue repair with 30 days; incidence of these wounds continue to rise, creating a burden not only on patients, but the healthcare system as well. This study sought to determine the effects of continuous topical oxygen therapy (TOT) on wound perfusion as measured with a near-infrared spectroscopy device (NIRS).

Five patients (age range 42 – 91 yrs) with a history of lower extremity wounds lasting more than 30 days qualified. After standard wound assessment, active continuous TOT was initiated, with weekly NIRS images to track oxygenated hemoglobin levels; standard wound measurements were also obtained. Patients were seen for 6 weekly visits or until the wound healed.

NIRS showed all 5 patients had increased oxygenated hemoglobin in the wound base along with improvements in other wound measurements. Healing was complete in 3 of the 5 patients by the 6-week mark, with the 2 others healing shortly thereafter (with continued TOT).

The author concluded that NIRS was a user-friendly imaging device for tracking wound progress and that TOT offers an effective non-invasive chronic wound treatment.

Source: Cole W. The Use Of Topical Oxygen Therapy System to Promote Healing in Chronic Wounds. Poster presented at Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall Virtual. Sept. 18-20, 2020.