ABSTRACT
Background: In patients with life-threatening injuries, simple wounds requiring split-thickness skin grafts (SSG) often get neglected. These then need SSG once they are covered with granulation tissue through wound bed preparation. Traditionally, this is done by daily moist dressings. Recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (rhPDGF) has been shown to improve healing in chronic wounds.
Aim: The present study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of rhPDGF in wound bed preparation with the current practice of daily saline dressings.
Setting and design: A prospective randomised, single-blinded study was carried out for evaluation in traumatic wounds.
Materials and methods: The patients were randomised and divided into a control group that was subjected to saline dressings and a test group that was treated with rhPDGF gel. Both the groups were then compared. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 16.0 and the quantitative variables were analysed using unpaired "t" test, while the pre- and post-intervention effects were assessed using paired "t" test. The 95% CI values were also included.
Results: Of the 155 wounds studied, time taken for appearance of granulation tissue (in days) in the test group had a mean of 13.81 ± 2.68, while that in the control group was 13.36 ± 3.81 (P = 0.401). Complete re-epithelialisation without discharge occurred in the control group with a mean value of 28.9 ± 3.67 days, while that in the test group had a mean of 31.17 ± 4.82 days.
Conclusion: There was no difference in wound healing between the patients treated with rhPDGF compared to those treated by conventional moist dressings.
INTRODUCTION
Wounds represent a major health burden and drain on our resources through significant morbidity. Two broad categories exist for the classification of wounds: acute and chronic. The ideal treatment for acute wounds, especially for those that are traumatic in aetiology, is early coverage before the contaminated wounds get infected, usually by 3-5 days.
