Home care and the effects of Hypericum tetrapterum oil extract in the treatment of chronic wounds during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing brought about sudden changes in the health system and treatment strategies. Patients with chronic wounds were affected by these changes and had limited access to professional treatment in hospitals. They were at a higher risk of infection with COVID-19 due to comorbidities and advanced age. The aim of the study was to develop an appropriate protocol for the in-home treatment of chronic wounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic when access to hospitals is limited and the risk of infection for these patients is high. In our case, Hypericum tetrapterum oil extract was applied for four months on a volunteer, a 78-year-old male patient with a chronic wound, additionally infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and comorbidities. His healing status was monitored by measuring the wound size and microbiological analysis at certain intervals. The scab of wound DPHR2 (right lower leg chronic wound 2), with its diameters of d1 (40 mm) and d2 (20 mm), fell off after 22 days of the first Hypericum tetrapterum oil extract application. The scab of wound DPHR1 (right lower leg chronic wound 1), with its diameters of d1 (74 mm) and d2 (35 mm), fell off after two and a half months of treatment with Hypericum tetrapterum oil extract. The results of our study indicated that Hypericum tetrapterum oil extract has a significant wound-healing potential and might be used as traditional medicine in the treatment of chronic wounds.