Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 1:57 PM
2832

The Effectiveness of Nutritional Supplementation in Wound Healing

Dana M. Coberly, MD, Maria Coimbra, MD, James J. Chao, MD, PhD, Rod J. Rohrich, MD, and Spencer A. Brown, PhD.

Introduction: Nutritional supplements are reported to moderate inflammation and up-regulate wound-healing processes. No controlled study has shown supplements to shorten healing time. Clinical observations indicate that oral enzymes reduce healing time. Our goal is to scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of this product. Methods: A randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed in which 26 subjects were randomly assigned to placebo or treatment group. The study consisted of 2 phases, each 21 days. In Phase I, subjects were subjected to a 3mm forearm skin biopsy and randomly placed on placebo or oral supplement. After 1 week, a second biopsy was performed to start Phase II, with each subject in the other group. Digital photographs were taken during healing. Results: 26 subjects completed the clinical trial. The mean (SD) healing time of the treated wounds was 15.5 (2.6) days compared to the placebo group of 17.7 (2.5) days. The 13% acceleration of wound healing time was significant (p<0.015; paired T-test, 2-tailed, 2-sample unequal variance). Discussion: For the first time a supplement has been scientifically shown to accelerate wound- healing in normal, healthy individuals. Our study shows that this supplement modulates wound-healing processes and suggests that all surgical patients may benefit from treatment.