Aloe vera gel phonophoresis versus silver nanoparticles phonophoresis on burn wound: a prospective randomized double-blinded trial

Abstract

Burn trauma ranges from a minor burn to devastating injuries, which can affect all aspects of a person’s life including esthetic appearance, relationships with others, and psychological, social, and physical functioning. This study was conducted to compare the effect of aloe vera gel phonophoresis and silver nanoparticles (SNPs) phonophoresis for second-degree burn wound healing. Forty patients with second-degree burn wounds were included, and their age ranged from 20 to 40 years. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups: group A underwent aloe vera gel phonophoresis and group B underwent SNPs phonophoresis. All treatment interventions were applied at a frequency of three sessions per week for 12 weeks. Outcome measures were performed through wound surface area in cm2 via Transparency Method, which is the tracing method. The assessment was done before treatment, after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks of the treatment. There was a highly significant decrease in the wound surface area between aloe vera gel phonophoresis (group A) compared with that of SNPs phonophoresis (group B) (P<0.0001). It was concluded that aloe vera gel phonophoresis has greater efficacy than SNPs phonophoresis for treating second-degree burns.