What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed their experience with adjunctive topical oxygen therapy (tOT) for wound healing in 28 patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and non-healing lower extremity ulcers over an 8-year period.
What They Found
Of 28 patients with 36 wounds, 25% achieved complete wound healing, and 66% experienced a reduction in wound area ranging from 12% to 100%. Notably, no patients required major limb amputation.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Topical oxygen therapy (tOT) could offer a less invasive and more convenient adjunctive treatment option for Canadian patients with peripheral arterial disease experiencing non-healing wounds. This approach may help improve wound healing rates and potentially reduce the need for more drastic interventions like amputation.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada nor involved Canadian participants or researchers.
Study Limitations
A key limitation is the study's retrospective, observational design and small sample size, which prevents definitive conclusions about the efficacy of topical oxygen therapy.