The Effects of ۲% Topical Herbal Gel on Healing of First and Second-degree Pressure Ulcers Among Hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit

Background: Pressure ulcers are common and debilitating problems that lead to increased hospitalization time, pain, infection, chronic wounds, sepsis, and death. Therefore, pressure ulcer is an important diagnosis and nursing care need in patients. Considering the high prevalence of pressure ulcers in patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs), this research sought to determine the effectiveness of using Lawsonia inermis and Calendula officinalis L. gel to prevent pressure ulcers in patients. Methods: This research was a double-blind clinical trial, in which ۴۰ patients with bedsores of the I and II grade were selected and included in the study by means of available sampling among the patients admitted to the ICUs of educational-therapeutic hospitals in Shahrekord. ۴۰ participants were randomly divided into two control groups (Gel without herbal composition) and intervention (Gel containing hydroalcoholic extract of Lawsonia inermis and Calendula officinalis L.). The intervention continued for one month (۴ weeks). The evaluation of the healing process of wounds on days ۰, ۷, ۱۴, ۲۱, and ۲۸ was done by the wound evaluation tool, Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH). Data were analyzed using SPSS version ۱۸ statistical software and descriptive and analytical statistics tests. A significance level of ۰.۰۵ was considered. Results: The results of this research showed that two groups were almost identical in terms of demographic characteristics (P>۰.۰۵). Repeated Measures Analysis of Variances about the wound surface showed that the average wound surface in the control group did not show a significant difference on the days studied (P>۰.۰۵), but in the intervention group, the average surface of the wound on day ۲۸ significantly decreased days ۰ and ۷ (P Keywords: Pressure ulcer, Herbal gel, Wound healing

کلیدواژه ها:

Pressure ulcer ، Herbal gel ، Wound healing