Effectiveness of topical oxygen therapy in wound healing for patients with diabetic foot ulcer

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: Non-healing wounds have been one of the major challenges in health care because of increased morbidity, especially for those who have diabetes mellitus. Numerous regimens are being innovated to produce an evidence-based practice that would minimize complications and promote healing. Topical oxygen therapy is an innovation in wound care that has been considered influential in the wound healing process. This intervention aims to increase the oxygen concentration in the affected limb to promote wound healing. Methods: This research applied an experimental design that targeted a total of 60 adult patients aged 45–64 years with diabetic foot ulcers. A randomized systematic sampling technique was used to allow equal chances and prevent bias. In total, 30 patients in the control group received usual care for diabetic foot ulcers, and the remaining 30 patients in the experimental group received topical oxygen therapy together with standard care for diabetic foot ulcers. Subjects were assessed using the Wagner-Meggitt Wound Classification System. Results: The result proved that there was a significant difference in the wound grade of patients in the experimental group after the application of the usual wound care plus the topical oxygen therapy using Friedman’s test. The control and experimental groups were compared using Mann–Whitney statistical analyses, and the results showed that there was a significant difference between the control and experimental groups after the application of topical oxygen therapy. Conclusions: Topical oxygen therapy was demonstrated to be effective to aid in the wound healing process of patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Further research was recommended to improve the application of topical oxygen therapy to patients with chronic wounds and promote the wound healing process.