COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CONVENTIONAL AND TOPICAL HEPARIN DRESSING IN LOWER LIMB DIABETIC ULCERS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL.

Aims And Objectives: Primary: To prospectively compare the healing of lower limb diabetic ulcers in patients with conventional saline dressing and topical heparin saline dressing. Secondary : To analyze and compare the parameters of 1. hospital stay 2. antibiotic requirements based on culture and sensitivity and 3. analgesia requirement. Methods: Patients admitted with diabetic ulcer of lower limb are included in the study. By systemic random sampling and single blinding, those patient will be divided into two groups. (H) group- wound will be dressed with heparinized saline using 1000 IU/ml sodium aqueous heparin solution USP (heparin) dripped on the ulcer surfaces. (C) groupwound will be dressed with conventional way of normal saline or Povidone Iodine dressing. Analysis of the data is focused on the outcome measures. 1.Proportion of people whose ulcers have healed completely within the trial period by the end of treatment. 2.Proportion of people whose ulcers have healed completely in the trial period by the end of follow up (trial period). 3.Time to complete healing, or reduced size at end of treatment. 4.Change in area of ulcer within a specific time period (the period of time will be the duration of the study unless otherwise stated) Results And Conclusion: Using heparinized saline for dressing the lower limb diabetic ulcers provided peripheral arterial occlusion ruled out, the wound healing rate is expected to be faster compared to regular saline dressing. Requirement and change of antibiotics would be less and due to faster recovery, duration of hospital stay would also significantly reduce.