Management of decubitus ulcer using gentamicin sulphate iontophoresis - a case study

Abstract

Most infective organisms have developed resistance against antibiotics. There is need to find other means to deliver antibiotics locally. There appears to be limited studies on the use of gentamicin sulphate iontophoresis in wound management. The participant in this study was a subject diagnosed with mild head injury secondary to motor vehicle accident who later developed a unilateral pressure sore on the left gluteal region. The subject received 15-minutes of gentamicin sulphate iontophoresis (Interrupted Direct Current) three times a week for five weeks. The case report showed that there was a 65.7% reduction in wound surface area of the decubitus ulcer at the end of five weeks. Also, bacterial growth reduced from very heavy growth to scanty growth at the end of the 5th week. This report suggested that gentamicin sulphate ointment iontophoresis as adjunct with traditional saline-wet-to-moist (WM) wound dressing had an effect in healing the decubitus ulcer of the participant used in this study.