Wound Care

In this clinical study, spinal-cord injured patients with pressure ulcers received a commercial powdered nutritional supplement containing 9g of arginine per day. An approximate 2-fold improvement in pressure ulcer healing was seen in well nourished community spinal patients receiving the arginine-containing nutritional supplement, compared with historical controls.

Malnutrition is known to contribute to wound development and impair wound healing through reduction in the availability of nutrients to maintain optimal cell maintenance and repair. This review examines studies from the last decade to identify evidence for the effectiveness of nutritional interventions in wound healing. Studies reported identified included 61 primary studies and 6 systematic reviews.

This pilot study demonstrates the potential for a specialised wound healing nutritional supplement to accelerate the rate of pressure ulcer healing in spinal cord injury patients. A 2.5-fold greater rate of healing was observed in patients consuming the arginine-containing nutritional supplement until full healing compared with those who ceased taking the supplement.

In this clinical study, hospital inpatients with pressure ulcers were randomised to receive daily a standard hospital diet; a standard diet plus two high-protein/energy supplements; or a standard diet plus two high-protein/energy supplements containing additional arginine, vitamin C and zinc. Subjects receiving the arginine-containing nutritional supplement had a significantly improved rate of pressure ulcer healing over the course of three weeks.