Acoustic pressure wound therapy in the treatment of stage II pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers are localized skin injuries secondary to unrelieved pressure or friction. Patients with immobility issues are at increased risk for developing pressure ulcers. In 2004, stricter federal regulations for prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers in institutional settings--eg, long-term care facilities--were introduced. Effective, low-cost treatments for pressure ulcers are needed; acoustic pressure wound therapy (APWT), a noncontact, low-frequency, therapeutic ultrasound system, is one option. A retrospective case series of six long-term care patients (two men and one woman, age range 61 to 92 years), each with one Stage II pressure ulcer, is presented. Acoustic pressure wound therapy was provided as an adjunct to standard treatment that included balsam of Peru/castor oil/trypsin ointment, hydrogel, hydrocolloid dressings, silver dressings, and offloading. Outcomes (days to healing) were determined through changes in wound dimensions. Study participants each received APWT for 3 to 4 minutes three to four times weekly. In four of the six wounds, the average number of days to healing was 22. One of the two remaining patients discontinued treatment at 95% healed; treatment for the sixth patient was ongoing due to hospitalization that delayed APWT. In a long-term care setting, APWT added to standard of care may accelerate healing of Stage II pressure ulcers.