Abstract: Aim: To compare the efficacy of topical Hydrogel wound dressings to that of a control group using conventional wound dressings in the healing of chronic ulcers in terms of the number of ulcers left unhealed in either group, the amount of non-viable tissue, the rate of granulation tissue formation as a percentage of ulcer surface area, and the duration of hospital stay.
Methods and materials: A prospective, parallel group, comparative trial was used for the study. Patients with chronic wounds were admitted to KGH Vishakapatnam, General Surgery Department. Based on their willingness to undergo topical hydrogel treatment, the entire sample population was separated into two equal and comparable groups of 40 patients. Those who refused were subjected to standard wound dressings and formed the control group. These groups were subsequently divided into two equal groups of 20 patients each, based on whether the patients had diabetes or not. As a result, the entire study population was separated into four groups. The patients were chosen using the purposive sampling method. Patients were followed up on, and their ulcer condition was determined using a visual score.
Results: The reduction of slough occurs as early as the third week in the test group compared to the control group. In the test group, the frequency of patients with 75-100 percent wound filled with granulation tissue was higher as early as the third week than in the control group, where it required more than four weeks. The number of patients who underwent secondary suturing, skin grafts, and flaps was much higher in the test group than in the control group, and this occurred as early as the third week.
Conclusion: Hydrogel is an excellent topical applicant for reducing slough, enhancing granulation tissue development, and reepithelization, as well as shortening the hospital stay of these patients. In comparison to standard treatment with local antiseptics, this allows for better wound bed preparation for healing, suturing, skin transplant and flap.
