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Topical zinc oxide treatment improves arterial and venous leg ulcers
Author(s) -
STRÖMBERG H.E.,
ÅGREN M.S.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1984.tb06610.x
Subject(s) - medicine , placebo , zinc , regimen , surgery , leg ulcer , debridement (dental) , varicose ulcer , randomized controlled trial , granulation tissue , gastroenterology , wound healing , pathology , materials science , alternative medicine , metallurgy
Summary We performed a randomized, double‐blind study of the efficacy of locally applied zinc oxide on the healing of leg ulcers. Thirty‐seven geriatric patients, nineteen with arterial and eighteen with venous leg ulcers, were treated either with a gauze compress medicated with zinc oxide (400 μg ZnO/cm 2 ) or with an identical compress without zinc oxide. The treatment was assessed from ulcer size measurements and the presence or abscncc of granulation and ulcer debridement over a period of 8 weeks. The zinc‐treated patients (83% success rate) responded significantly better ( P <0·05) than the placebo‐treated patients (42% success rate). The results suggest that healing of leg ulcers is improved after the addition of zinc oxide to the local regimen.