Activation of healing and reduction of pain by single-use automated microcurrent electrical stimulation therapy in patients with hard-to-heal wounds.

Evidence shows that Electrical Stimulation Therapy (EST) accelerates healing and reduces pain, but EST has yet to become widely used. One reason is the historical use of complex, clinic-based EST devices. This evaluation assessed the early response of different hard-to-heal wounds to a simple, wearable, single-use, automated microcurrent EST device (Accel-Heal, Accel-Heal Technologies Limited - Hever, UK). Forty wounds (39 patients: 18 female - 21 male), mean age 68.9 ± 14.0 years comprised of: seven post-surgical, three trauma, 12 diabetic foot (DFU), 10 venous (VLU), four pressure injuries (PI), four mixed venous or arterial ulcers (VLU/arterial) received automated microcurrent EST for 12 days. Early clinical responses were scored on a 0-5 scale (5-excellent-0-no response). Pain was assessed at 48 h, seven days, and 14 days on a 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS). Overall, 78% of wounds showed a marked positive clinical response (scores of 5 and 4). Sixty eight percent of wounds were painful with a mean VAS score of 5.5. Almost every patient (96%) with pain experienced reduction within 48 h. All patients with painful wounds experienced pain reduction after seven days: 2.50 VAS (45% reduction) and further pain reduction after 14 days: 1.83 VAS (33%).

The analgesic effect of electrostimulation (WoundEL®) in the treatment of leg ulcers.

This study aims to demonstrate the analgesic efficacy of electrostimulation (ES), a recognised treatment for leg ulcers. Patients treated by ES for leg ulcers between 2011 and 2013 were included in the study. The pain score obtained with the numerical rating scale (NRS) was reported before the start of the ES (D0), after 3 days (D3) and 1 week following treatment initialisation. The analgesic treatments (AT) were reported at each assessment. Seventy-three patients were included (mean age 75·19 years): 31 venous leg ulcers, 21 mixed venous leg ulcers, 2 arterial ulcers, 17 hypertensive ischaemic ulcers, 1 Hydrea(®)-induced ulcer and an amputation stump ulcer. The NRS at D0 was on average 5·3 (median = 6) while it was 2·2 at D7 (median = 2), that is P < 0·001. The results were also significant between D0 and D3 (P < 0·001). A decrease in the number of AT used was observed between D0 (2·0 AT per patient on average) and D7 (1·7 AT on average) (P < 0·001). We also observed a decrease in the consumption of grade 3 analgesics on D0 and D7 (P = 0·03). This study demonstrates the rapid analgesic efficacy of ES in leg ulcers, with a clear impact on the NRS score and especially on the decrease in analgesic consumption.