Topical Oxygen Therapy Induces Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression and Improves Closure of Clinically Presented Chronic Wounds

Abstract

1.Chronic wounds, especially in diabetics, represent a serious threat to human health. 2.Correcting a compromised state of tissue oxygenation by the administration of supplemental O 2 is known to benefit wound healing. Beyond its role as a nutrient and antibiotic, O 2 supports wound healing by driving redox-signaling.3. HBO (hyperbaric oxygen) therapy is widely used and approved by CMS to treat specific ulcerations. The current literature supports that approaches to topically oxygenate wounds may be productive. 4.Here, we present the results of two simultaneous studies testing the effects of HBO and portable topical oxygen (TO) therapies. These two therapeutic approaches have several contrasting features. 5.A total of 1854 patients were screened in outpatient wound clinics for non-randomized enrollments into the HBO (n=32, 31% diabetic) and TO (n=25, 52% diabetic) studies.

Topical Wound Oxygen Versus Conventional Compression Dressings in the Management of Refractory Venous Ulcers

“…Gordillo et al conducted a study on full-body hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy versus TWO 2 . Topical oxygen treatment showed a significant reduction in wound size and was associated with higher vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)165 expression in healing wounds [53].…”

Oxygen: Implications for Wound Healing

“…Indeed, several clinical and animal studies have yielded promising results. 4,17,18 The most recently reviewed is a prospective, controlled study that assessed diabetic foot ulcer healing outcomes in an outpatient setting. The TOT treatment group showed a significantly better healing outcome (85%) compared with the control group (45%) receiving standard wound care dressings.…”

Topical Oxygen for Chronic Wounds: A PRO/CON Debate

“…[21][22][23][24] In a recent observational case series study, Gordillo et al, reported promising results with TOT in patients with non-healing chronic wounds who achieved good wound healing, an observation which was confirmed by a significant increase in VEGF expression on biopsy samples obtained from the edge of the wounds. 25 In a more recent non-randomized controlled study conducted by Blackman et al on 28 patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), the mean healing duration was shown to be significantly shorter with TOT as compared with standard wound care [56 days in 14 of the 17 (82.4%) patients vs. 93 days in 5 of the 11 patients (45.5%)]. 26 Finally, Vickie et al, in a randomized controlled trial performed on patients with chronic DFUs, confirmed these findings by demonstrating that patients who received continuous TOT for 4 weeks had significantly higher wound size reduction as compared with patients who received standard wound care alone [87% (range 55.7%-100%) vs 46% (15%-99%); p , 0.05].…”