ACTA FAC. MED. NAISS. 2005; 22 (2):67-73

   Original article

    EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY ON VENOUS ULCER MICROFLORA

Aleksandar Janković, Milenko Stanojević, Ivana Binić
Clinic of Dermatovenerology Clinical Center Niš

    SUMMARY
    Venous ulcers of the skin are the terminal condition resulting from chronic venous insufficiency and they exclusively appear on previously pathologically altered skin. Disturbed skin structure and altered local environmental conditions are ideal prerequisites for bacterial colonisation onset and infection. The investigation included 45 patients with venous ulcers treated with electroionic currents (15 patients), polarized light (15 patients), and controls (15 patients). Microflora was determined and controlled on the basis of biogram and antibiogram at the beginning of treatment and in control visits. Physical treatment was conducted every day in duration of 10 minutes. Control group ulcers were not treated with physical therapy. The type of venous ulcer microflora was established for each group, as well as the impact of each administered treatment. The type of venous ulcer microflora isolated during the study, sensitivity test and microflora reduction in control check-ups did not demonstrate significant differences among the groups. The obtained results and their comparison suggest that physical therapy reduces venous ulcer microflora. It reduces bacterial infection, treatment complications and accelerates ulcer healing.
 

    Key words: venous ulcer, microflora, physical therapy, topical