Chronic venus ulcer pain reduction and full recovery by an autologous blood clot: A case study

Abstract

Introduction: Venous Leg Ulcers (VLU) can be associated with severe pain, having a tremendous effect on the ulcer treatment and eventually the patient’s quality of life. Dressing removal and procedures are the main cause for VLU pain, however, background pain is common in chronic wounds, with numerous patients needing analgesics to manage the pain. ActiGraft is an autologous whole blood clot, created by the patient’s own peripheral blood, at a point of care to treat cutaneous wounds. ActiGraft mimics the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) by creating a protective scaffold, that promotes the acceleration of the wound healing process. Case study: We here by describe a case study of a 63-year-old patient who exhibits a 1-year-old VLU, that went under advanced treatments previously with no improvement. This was the result of the deterioration of a simple scratch that extended to a spreading wound, covering a large area of the shin. The patient experienced high pain levels and consumed large amounts of analgesics during the past year of his life, with no significant relief. The patient suffered severe pain and was unable to sleep for more than a 3 hour period, every single night. ActiGraft weekly application was able to change the pain form during the first treatment and followingly reduce the pain levels with a constant decrease in wound pain with every application. ActiGraft treatment was able to promote the healing process, achieving a complete wound healing after receiving 16 weeks of constant treatment. Discussion: Pain associated with VLU has a major effect on the patient’s quality of life and can significantly impact the ability to efficiently treat the ulcer. ActiGraft treatment progressed the wound toward complete healing and reduced the pain level from the wound, suggested to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which contributes to the reduction of pain levels and initiating the natural wound healing process. Conclusion: ActiGraft was found to have a significant effect in reducing wound pain levels, having an impact on the patient’s quality of life, and also progressing hard-to-heal wounds toward complete healing. This synergetic effect establishes ActiGraft as an effective wound healing product in patients with multiple comorbidities, who are suffering from severe background pain related to their wound. Keywords: VLU; autologous blood clot; pain.