Aloe vera gel prevents pressure ulcers in hospitalized patients

The occurrence of pressure ulcer followed by immobility is one of the most common orthopedic problems. According to a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, aloe vera gel could prevent and treat pressure ulcers.

• In this study, researchers at Arak University of Medical Sciences in Iran looked at the effect of aloe vera gel on preventing pressure ulcers in orthopedic patients.
• The team recruited 80 patients hospitalized in the orthopedic ward to participate in the study.
• They randomly divided the patients into two groups: treatment and control groups.
• Nurses performed routine daily cares to prevent bed sores in every group.
• In addition to routine nursing care, the intervention group applied pure aloe vera gel on the hip, sacrum, and heel areas twice a day, while the control group used a placebo, which is a gel of water and starch.
• Then, the researchers assessed the sacral, hip, and heel of both groups on the third, seventh, and tenth day to monitor the signs of pressure ulcers.
• The results revealed that the application of aloe vera gel prevented a rise in temperature, redness, swelling, and pain in the skin areas.
• These findings suggest that aloe vera gel can prevent the onset of pressure ulcers in patients at risk.

The researchers concluded that aloe vera is a more effective and less costly treatment in preventing and healing the ulcers compared to current treatments, making it a great substitute for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

To read more studies on natural treatments for pressure ulcers, visit AlternativeMedicine.news.

Journal Reference:

Hekmatpou D, Mehrabi F, Rahzani K, Aminiyan A. THE EFFECT OF ALOE VERA GEL ON PREVENTION OF PRESSURE ULCERS IN PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED IN THE ORTHOPEDIC WARDS: A RANDOMIZED TRIPLE-BLIND CLINICAL TRIAL. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 29 September 2018; 18(264). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2326-2