Topical application of insulin in the treatment of decubitus ulcers: a pilot study

To test the hypothesis that there will be a significantly greater increase in the rate of healing of decubitus ulcers in subjects who receive topical insulin therapy than in subjects who receive other forms of therapy, a pilot study was conducted, utilizing a two-group before and after design. Decubitus ulcers of six experimental group subjects were treated with a topical application of ten units of regular insulin twice a day for five days; eight control group subjects received one of a variety of topical therapies other than insulin. Data were collected on all subjects for a 15-day period. Although generalizations cannot be based on the results of 14 subjects, data analysis showed that insulin was a safe and effective agent in the healing of small, uncomplicated decubitus ulcers. The results appear to warrant a more extensive study of the subject.