Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pressure ulcers rank as the third most costly disease to health care services. The prevalence in Iran for hospitalised patients is approximately 19%. This study aimed to compare the effects of Arnebia Euchroma ointment dressings with silver nanoparticle dressings on pressure ulcer healing in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: A randomised controlled trial was conducted with patients with pressure ulcers admitted to ICUs. The patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which received the Arnebia Euchroma ointment dressing (n = 30), or the control group, which received silver nanoparticle dressing (n = 30). Three assessments, including one pre-intervention, one during, and one after the intervention on day (1, 7, and 12), were conducted using the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) and Nonverbal Pain Scale (NVPS) to evaluate the healing progress and pain intensity levels over time. RESULTS: The study results revealed that both the Arnebia Euchroma ointment and silver nanoparticles had positive effects on wound healing; there was no significant difference between the two treatments. The mean pain intensity decreased on the first, seventh, and twelfth days; and there was a significant difference between the two groups. Patients in the Arnebia Euchroma ointment group experienced lower pain intensity during and after dressing on the first, seventh, and twelfth days. CONCLUSION: Wound healing was expected in the silver nanoparticle group, whereas promising results were also observed in the Arnebia Euchroma ointment dressing group. Since the full effects of silver nanoparticles on humans and the environment are still unknown, the use of locally sourced herbal medicines such as Arnebia Euchroma can be considered as an alternative, or even in combination with silver nanoparticles.