A Device for Activating Repair Processes Using Low-Temperature Plasma Discharges in Patients with Bedsores: Optimization of Parameters and Assessment of Efficacy

A specialized experimental device for acting on biological tissues by means of cold plasma glow discharges operating at a frequency of 6.78 MHz is described. Activation of repair processes in tissues in the bedsore zone by cold plasma discharges at 6.78 MHz was shown to be more effective than at frequencies of 2.64 or 0.11 MHz. When a needle electrode with diameter 0.3 mm and length 6 mm was used in the activation procedure, the optimum parameters were: power, 5.0 ± 1.5 W; duration, 1.0-3.0 s. Marked activation effects were obtained in the period from 14 to 21 days. The efficacy of the method in terms of the rate of wound healing was 15-17% depending on the etiology of bedsore wounds. Morphological analysis of the activation process was by comparing histological samples of decubital ulcer specimens from patients in the experimental and control groups. The results led to the conclusion that the therapy of bedsores by activation of repair processes with plasma glow discharges induced by a current at the optimal frequency was an effective component of the complex treatment of bedsores.