Healing an intractable wound using bio-electrical stimulation therapy

Abstract

Clinicians involved in the conservative care of chronic wounds have many treatment interventions from which to choose, including debridement/irrigation, dressings, and pressure-relieving devices, to name a few. All are physical treatments that create an ideal wound healing environment. Unfortunately, many wounds heal very slowly, do not heal, or worsen. This situation relates to the woman in this case study who had a non-healing leg ulcer for 12 months. One of the interventions commonly used to treat chronic wounds is bio-electrical stimulation therapy (BEST) and the rationale for use of this method is based on the fact that the human body has an endogenous bioelectric system that enhances healing of bone fractures and soft-tissue wounds. When the body's endogenous bioelectric system fails and cannot contribute to wound repair processes, therapeutic levels of electrical current may be delivered into the wound tissue from an external source.