Platelet Rich Plasma Dressing Versus Normal Saline Dressing in the Management of Chronic Diabetic Wounds

PRP Versus Saline Dressing in Chronic Diabetic Wounds

Abstract

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a promising modality in wound healing due to its concentration of platelets and growth factors that stimulate tissue repair, angiogenesis, and epithelialization. Objectives: To compare the efficacy of PRP dressings with normal saline dressings in the management of chronic diabetic ulcers. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Surgery, Gulab Devi Hospital, Lahore, from January 2025 to June 2025. After ethical approval, 156 patients with chronic diabetic wounds were recruited using consecutive sampling and randomly allocated into PRP and NS dressing groups (1:1). Interventions were administered over six weeks. Baseline and weekly wound area and healing status were assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. A confidence level of 95% was used for all statistical analyses. Results were considered statistically significant at a p-value ≤0.05.  Results: A total of 156 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 39.05 ± 9.75 years and mean BMI of 25.85 ± 2.30 kg/m². Males comprised 63.5% of the participants, and 53.2% were aged 41–60 years. Complete healing was achieved in 92.3% of PRP patients compared to 61.5% in the NS group (p<0.001). PRP significantly reduced healing time (3.62 ± 1.25 vs. 4.85 ± 1.27 weeks; p<0.001) and post-treatment infections (7.7% vs. 23.1%; p=0.008), with no amputations in the PRP group.  Conclusions: PRP dressing offers a more effective and safer alternative to conventional care in managing chronic diabetic wounds, promoting timely healing and supporting its inclusion in clinical wound care strategies.