Efficiency between ginger and hidrocoloide in the topical treatment of the pressure ulcers (stage III), in the Service of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen, 2003

Skin ulcers caused by pressure are a very serious problem in the Guillermo Almenara Hospital, approximately represent 5 per cent of the hospitable debits of the Services of Internal Medicine and produce high morbimortality. Now a day a protocol of treatment of the pressure ulcer, stage III, use the hydrocolloid dressing, but it is not very effective, only 39 per cent of patients complete healing. Objective: Determine the clinical effectiveness and security of the ginger in comparison with the hydrocolloid dressing in the topical treatment of the pressure ulcer, sacred, (Stage III). Material and methods: A clinical trial, controlled, not blind, was made in the Service of Internal Medicine No 5, of the Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen Hospital, in Lima-Peru, 2003. A group of 34 patients were treatment with hidrocolloid dressing and 34 patients were treated with ginger paste. Results: 52,9 per cent complete healing with hydrocolloid, and 66,2 per cent complete healing with ginger. In the group treatment with hydrocolloid 14,7 per cent present infection of the ulcer, 8,82 per cent maceration of the skin, 2,9 per cent present hypergranulation and 14,7 per cent present a smell bad related to the disintegration of the hydrocolloid. In the group treatment with ginger 5,8 per cent present infection of the ulcer, 20,5 per cent cutaneous irritation, 11,7 per cent maceration of the skin. The related factors with the not complete healing ofthe pressure ulcer were the malnutrition, the greater severity of commitment of sense, the not control of the sphincters and the greater size of the pressure ulcer. Conclusions: l) Topical treatment for the pressure ulcer, stage III with ginger paste is more effective than the topical treatment with hidrocolloid dressing. 2) Treatment with ginger presents more adverse effects. 3) Factors that influence in a retardation in the cure of the pressure ulcer are the malnutrition, the not control of sphincters, the greater severity of commitment of sense and the greater size of the pressure ulcer.