Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2003; 8: 509
The frequency of torpid wounds occurring in general practice will increase in the next few years because of the aging population and the concomitant increase of diseases such as diabetes, tumour, occlusive arterial disease or venous thrombosis. The conventional treatment is expensive and time-consuming. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a combination of alternative methods and modern wound management methods might provide an effective alternative.
Forty-seven patients (29 female, 18 male; mean age 62 ± 10 years) with torpid wounds participated in an observational study, which was performed in the complementary department of a nursing ambulance at the university. At each visit the wound was controlled and treated; progress, present therapy (changes) and recommendations were protocolised by a nurse. Six months after the end of treatment, patients were posted a questionnaire.
Nine Patients visited the ambulance only once or twice, the mean frequency was 10.8 visits, the maximum 40. Sixty-six per cent had concomitant diseases such as cancer (n = 8). They received 1–12 measurements during one visit (mean 2.1). In 71%, healing was improved, in 18.4% the wound got worse (three cancer patients, one false diagnosis; three, unknown reason), in the remainder there was no change. Of the patients, 44.7% returned the questionnaire; seven reported healing, two improvement, two no change, and five a worsening.
Complex integrative wound treatment, mainly relying on a trained nurse, is very well accepted by the patients and seems to be rather effective in ameliorating torpid wounds.
