The Clinical Outcomes of Using Cold Atmospheric Plasma for Chronic Wound Treatment: Wound and Ostomy Care Center, Lamphun Hospital
Keywords:
Advanced Wound Care, Chronic Wound Treatment, Cold Atmospheric PlasmaAbstract
This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) therapy in the management of chronic wounds. The outcomes included wound size reduction within two months, infection rate, complications related to CAP therapy, and the overall duration from treatment initiation to complete wound healing. Stratified random sampling was performed using a computer program. The sample size was calculated using G*Power version 3.1.9.4, yielding a total of 176 patients with chronic wounds, including diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, vascular ulcers, and necrotizing wounds. Participants were equally allocated into a control group and an experimental group. The control group received advanced wound care, while the experimental group received advanced wound care combined with cold atmospheric plasma therapy three times per week. The study was conducted from January 2022 to March 2025. Data were analyzed using mean, percentage, and independent t-test statistics.
The results showed that within two months, the experimental group demonstrated a mean wound size reduction of 6.59 cm, whereas the control group showed a mean reduction of only 0.49 cm with statistically significant difference (p < .001). No infections were observed in either group. The mean total duration from treatment initiation to complete wound healing was 175.92 days in the control group, compared with only 71.89 days in the experimental group, which was statistically significant difference (p < .001). Regarding complications related to cold atmospheric plasma therapy, 18.18% of patients reported a fishy ozone-like odor during treatment. No pain or tissue burns were observed.
The findings of this study suggest that cold atmospheric plasma is an effective adjunctive therapy for promoting wound healing. It accelerates wound size reduction, does not cause wound infection, and is not associated with pain during treatment. Therefore, cold atmospheric plasma should be considered for using in the management of chronic wounds, particularly when applied from the early stage of wound development.
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