Hydrogel combined with antimicrobial protease dressing accompanied with emotional support to treat wounds of patients taking immunosuppressive agents: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the healing process of chronic wounds treated with hydrogel combined with antimicrobial protease dressing and emotional support intervention in patients taking immunosuppressive agents.

CASES: The case series involved 8 patients treated at a tertiary public hospital for 12 weeks. Data were analysed by SPSS version 27.0. The intention-to-treat principle was carried out, without the loss or exclusion of the participants. The subjects had wounds for 70 (98) days, and they consisted of 50% (4/8) males with a mean age of 42.63 years (±16.94). All (100%) subjects had taken immunosuppressive agents, and 62.5% (5/8) had systolic hypertension. The mean initial area of all wounds was 19.54 (5.89) cm2, and the mean final area was 3.0 cm2, with a reduction rate of 89% over the 12 weeks of treatment. In addition, we found that tissue types of these wounds changed by using hydrogel combined with antibacterial protease dressings, especially devitalised tissue (P = 0.011). The amount of exudate did not statistically change (P = 0.083). No participant had severe or local adverse events during the study period. Hence, giving emotional support along with wound care for 12 weeks could significantly reduce anxiety scores (P = 0.012). These results suggested that hydrogel combined with antimicrobial protease dressing and emotional support intervention is a promising method for the healing of wounds in patients who suffer from immunosuppressive diseases or are receiving current immunosuppressive treatment.