9 Cases of Pressure Ulcers Cured by Acupuncture Treatment and Open Wet Dressing Therapy

침치료와 Open Wet Dressing Therapy로 완치된 3,4단계 욕창환자 9례에 대한 증례보고

The purpose of this study is to report the effect of the Korean acupuncture treatment and Open Wet Dressing Therapy(OPWT) for pressure ulcer. From November 2015 to January 2020, 9 patients with 3rd or 4th graded pressure ulcer over 70 years of age who were admitted to a care hospital with underlying diseases such as cerebral infarction, brain hemorrhage, and Parkinson's disease were treated by acupuncture and OPWT. Photographs of lesions were used to evaluate the changes in condition of pressure ulcer. Acupuncture was performed 4 times a week along the border between the normal epidermal region and the pressure ulcer granulation tissue in contact with the pressure ulcer interface. OPWT to create a wet environment for wounds by washing the wounds 1-2 times a day with normal saline solution and covering them with food wrap was combined. In addition, for objective treatment progress evaluation, size, stage and condition of pressure ulcer were regularly monitored using the classification method of The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) according to the condition and depth of the damaged tissue and The Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing(PUSH tool 3.0). After acupuncture treatment and OPWT, the pressure ulcer of patients was cured in as short as 66 days and as long as 274 days (average 170 days). This study shows that acupuncture treatment and OPWT were effective to treat pressure ulcer.