Treatment of Chronic Venous Ulcer with Cold Atmospheric Plasma Jet

Abstract

Nowadays, cold atmospheric plasma jet (CAP-jet) shows interesting results in the dermatology sector, particularly focusing on wound healing and antimicrobial properties. The purpose of this case report is to present a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma treatment as a novel therapy for venous ulcers. The plasma consists of ionized helium gas that is produced by a high-voltage (4.5 kV) and high-frequency power supply (22 kHz). We here present a 65-year-old man with a slow-healing ulcer on the right lower limb. The CAP was applied to the ulcer twice a week for four consecutive weeks and the patient was followed for 6 weeks. The amount of exudate, ulcer size, and wound grading were determined weekly. The results showed that exudate from the ulcer significantly reduced in the first week after complete treatment, the wound grading of the ulcer improved by the second week, and the size of the ulcer significantly decreased after 2 weeks. The ulcer entirely healed after 4 weeks without any signs of infection. This case study demonstrates that applying CAP-jet can decrease the bacterial load on the ulcer site and stimulate tissue regeneration concurrently. This increases the speed of the healing process.

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Is a Promising Alternative Treatment Option in Case of Split Skin Graft Failure

“…Moreover, CAP operates synergically with antibiotics [ 7 ], which could have played a beneficial role in the eradication of the bacterial load in this case. CAP reduced inflammation and facilitated granulation tissue formation as well, which have been reported before [ 2 , 3 ]. Chronic inflammation is associated with elevated levels of interleukins and cytokines, which hinder wound closure [ 19 ].…”

“…Cold atmospheric plasma is an ionized gas and can be described as the fourth matter of state. In the last decade, plasma medicine has been established and clinically approved, frequently found to possess antimicrobial properties and stimulate wound healing [1][2][3]. The mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects include the generation of reactive oxygen species, which support eradicating the pathogen microbiome [4,5] and are efficient against Pseudomonas bacteria [6][7][8].…”