Effect of Topical Insulin Versus Normal Saline Dressing on Diabetic Wound Healing: An Experimental Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcer is one of the most significant and devastating complications and a major cause of hospitalization among patients with diabetes. It leads to severe economic and social burdens. The management of Diabetic foot ulcers remains a major therapeutic challenge. Hence, the present study was conducted to compare the topical insulin and normal saline dressing on wound healing among patients with a diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: An experimental research design was adopted to conduct the study with 60 samples matched with the inclusion criteria in Saveetha Medical College and Hospital. Samples were allocated into experimental group I (n=30) and experimental group II (n=30) by simple random sampling. The baseline outcomes were measured at the beginning of the study. Pre-assessment was done using the Bates-Jensen wound assessment tool in experimental I & II. Experimental group I received topical insulin dressing, and experimental group II received normal saline dressing daily for 14 days. Post-assessment was done on the seventh and fourteenth days using the same tool for both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: A significant improvement in the level of wound healing was observed at the level of p< 0.001 within and between a group of pretest, post-test I, and Post-test II by repeated measures ANOVA. The overall comparison of wound healing between experimental groups I & II revealed that the calculated F value of F=12.679 shows a statistically (p<0.001) significant difference in the level of wound healing at all levels. Conclusion: It is concluded that topical insulin and normal saline dressing effectively improve wound healing of diabetic foot ulcers. Nevertheless, the topical insulin was more effective than the normal saline dressing, proving that topical insulin significantly impacts the wound healing process. However, further study may be conducted to design the intervention protocol and better understand the role of insulin in healing.