Zinc hyaluronate effects on ulcers in diabetic patients
Ramos Cuevas F., Velázquez Méndez A.A., Castañeda Andrade I.

SUMMARY

Context: Diabetic foot ulcer is one of the main complications of diabetes mellitus. Fifty to 70% amputations of lower extremities are made in diabetic patients. Zinc hyaluronate has been proved in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers with promising results.

General objective: To asses zinc hyaluronate efficacy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

Design: Open therapeutic random trial. Patients were followed from June to December 2004 during a twelve weeks period.

Setting: Tertiary care center. Diabetic Foot Clinic.

Patients: Fifty diabetics type 2 patients with diabetic foot ulcer selected by consecutive sampling were included to the stydy, both sex, from 40 to 80 years old and without lower extremity ischemia. Twenty-five were assigned randomly to zinc hyaluronate group and the other 25 to control group (conventional treatment). None patient of the zinc hyaluronate group abandoned or withdrew during the period study. One patient in the control group died.

Intervention: Zinc hyaluronate gel was applied once a day to the ulcer surface after cleaning it with physiologic saline solution.

Main outcome measure: Zinc hyaluronate efficacy was assesed through the time in weeks required to getting complete closure of ulcer with epitelial tissue (Average healing time).

Material and methods: Controlled clinical test. Patients with own ulcers on the diabetic foot. July 1st- September 30th, 2004. Twent-five patients by group.

Results: Ulcer area in zinc hyaluronate group was 12,48 cm² ± 10,92 versus 7 cm² ± 5,3 (p< 0,05). Average healing time in zinc hyaluronate group was 7,8 weeks ± 3,49 and all patients' ulcers healed, with only two patients in control group showed complete closure after twelve weeks folowing period (p< 0,05). Two patients in zinc hyaluronate group reported paresthesia and another hypergranulation as adverse effects that were resolved spontaneously without treatment interruption.

Conclusions: Zinc hyaluronate achieved complete closure of diabetic foot ulcers in lesser time than conventional treatment with minimal adverse effects.

KEY WORDS

  diabetic foot ulcers, zinc hyaluronate, healing.

Vol. 18 nº2-2007