Wound treatment system and method of use
A wound treatment system including a treatment chamber, a source of an aqueous antibiotic, a source of an oxygen-enriched gas, and a control system adapted to alternately surround a human limb with antibiotic mist and the oxygen enriched gas, which can be used to heal lesions such as foot ulcers. A method of treating lesions such as foot ulcers is also disclosed, that includes bathing the lesion in antibiotic mist and contacting it with oxygen gas.
1. A method for treating a wound, comprising:
(a) introducing a human limb having a wound into a treatment chamber;
(b) surrounding the limb in the treatment chamber with a mist containing water and an antibiotic; and
(c) surrounding the limb in the treatment chamber with an O 2 -enriched gas without increasing the pressure around the limb to 22 mm Hg.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wound is a chronic lesion.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wound is a post-surgical infection, a gangrenous lesion, a decubitus ulcer, or a venous stasis.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wound is a skin ulceration due to amputation, skin graft, burn, or frostbite.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the limb is a foot.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the limb is a leg.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibiotic is a topical antibiotic.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibiotic is selected from betadine, isopropyl alcohol, bacitracin, and hydrogen peroxide, and combinations thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antibiotic is ionic silver.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the O 2 -enriched gas displaces the mist.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the O 2 -enriched gas is substantially pure O 2 .
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the treatment periodically until the foot ulcer is healed.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) is performed for about 2 to about 30 minutes.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein step (b) is performed for approximately 15 minutes.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is performed for about one minute to about 15 minutes.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein step (c) is performed for approximately 5 minutes.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mist is an adiabatic mist.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed sequentially multiple times in a single treatment.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed 4 times, the single treatment lasting approximately 80 minutes.
20. The method of claim 1 further comprising massaging the limb with low frequency sound waves or heating the limb with pulsed light.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed simultaneously multiple times in a single treatment.