High-dose Topical Zinc Oxide Promotes Healing Indices of Pressure Ulcers: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

ObjectivePressure ulcers seriously affect patient quality of life. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of 25% zinc oxide topical cream on treating stage I and II pressure ulcers.MethodsThis randomized, double-blind clinical trial involved 60 patients, divided into the control group (n = 30) receiving a silver-containing dressing and the intervention group (n = 30) treated with 25% zinc oxide cream. Wound assessments were conducted on days 0, 7, and 14, alongside standard care.ResultsIn the end, the intervention group showed significantly higher rates of "partial healing" and "peri-wound erythema reduction" than the control group (p_value < .05). The intervention group's partial healing increased from 3.33% (day 7) to 83.34% (day 14) (p_value < .05), whereas the control group reached from 26.67% to 60%. On day 14, the intervention group experienced a 50% decrease in peri-wound erythema, while the control group only experienced a 9.5% reduction (p_value < .05). Also, 3.33% of the intervention group achieved complete healing, while none in the control group did.ConclusionThe findings suggest that 25% zinc oxide cream may function as an effective and cost-efficient alternative to conventional dressings in managing stage I and II pressure ulcers.Graphical abstract[Formula: see text].