INFECTION AND HEALING IN SUPERFICIAL WOUNDS. A COMPARATIVE CLINICAL STUDY OF TOPICAL TREATMENT METHODS

The comparative value of nitrofurazone-hydrocortisone cream, of saline solution soaks and of a dry method of care in preventing or curing surface infections was studied in 86 patients. Of a total of 117 discrete lesions treated, 59 were infected, most of these being chronically infected decubital ulcers in paraplegic patients. The other lesions were burns, avulsive and wringer injuries, orthopedic surgical wounds and various abrasions. Excellent results were obtained with the nitrofurazone-hydrocortisone cream in infected lesions: infection rapidly cleared in all 37 lesions treated although only 29 healed completely and promptly. Five lesions were improved, and in three instances healing was unduly delayed. Among 22 infected lesions treated twice daily with saline solution soaks, only five were cured, two improved, seven had delayed healing, and eight had no improvement. In the non-infected wounds, saline soaks or plain dry care after surgical debridement and hexachlorophene cleansing gave results generally more comparable to those obtained in similar cases treated with the nitrofurazone-hydrocortisone cream.