Topical Oxygen Wound Therapies for Chronic Wounds: A Review

摘要

To present and discuss available therapeutic topical oxygen-delivering approaches and their impact on wound healing. Patients with chronic wounds (leg ulcers, foot ulcers and pressure ulcers) suffer from conditions such as peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), diabetes mellitus and immobility. Chronic critical ischemia is a stage of PAOD reached when a sustained inadequate supply of oxygen reaches a critical threshold below which wound healing is significantly decreased. Venous hypertension, hypervolemia and edema cause hypoxia in CVI patients due to reduced capillary density that leads to slower diffusion of oxygen. Oxygen plays a crucial role in the various phases of wound healing including energy metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, infection control, signaling and construction of the extracellular matrix (ECM), supplying additional oxygen could promote this process. Adjunctive oxygen therapies aim to improve local oxygen supply.