Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Chronic Dermal Ulcer Healing Enhanced With Monophasic Pulsed Electrical Stimulation, Jeffery A. Feedar, Luther C. Kloth, Gary D. Gentzkow

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

The purposes of this randomized, double-blind, multicenter study were to compare healing of chronic dermal ulcers treated with pulsed electrical stimulation with healing of similar wounds treated with sham electrical stimulation and to evaluate patient tolerance to the therapeutic protocol. Forty-seven patients, aged 29 to 91 years, with 50 stage II, III, and IV ulcers were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (n=26) or a control (sham treatment) group (n=24). Treated wounds received 30 minutes of pulsed cathodal electrical stimulation twice daily at a pulse frequency of 128 pulses per second (pps) and a peak amplitude of 29.2 mA …

Improved Healing Of Pressure Ulcers Using Dermapulse, A New Electrical Stimulation Device, Gary D. Gentzkow, Sheldon V. Pollack, Luther C. Kloth, Harrison A. Stubbs

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

A double-blind, clinical study of pulsed electrical stimulation using the Dermapulse® device was carried out on 40 pressure ulcers, randomized to receive either active (stim) or sham treatment.

Electrodes were placed over saline-moistened gauze on the ulcers. An electrical current of 35mA was delivered to the wound tissues at a frequency of 128 pulses per second. Polarity was negative until the wound debrided, then alternated from .positive to negative every three days. Ulcers were treated for 30 minutes twice daily for four weeks, after which sham patients could cross over to active treatment, and stim patients could continue active treatment. …