Ultraviolet-C Effectiveness in the Management of Pressure Ulcers in People With Spinal Cord Injury

Ultraviolet-C Irradiation in the Management of Pressure Ulcers in People With Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized, Stratified, Placebo-controlled Trial

The objective of the study is to examine the effectiveness of Ultraviolet-C (UVC) for healing pressure ulcers in people with spinal cord injury. UVC is a form of radiation similar to sunlight but it is normally absorbed in the earth's atmosphere. Participants will be assigned by chance to receive placebo-UVC or real UVC treatment, in addition to receiving wound care according to best practice guidelines. The hypothesis is that UVC-treated wounds will heal at a faster rate than wounds receiving placebo treatment.

Given that pressure ulcers impact on an individual's quality of life, and generate high costs to the overall health care system, further work is needed to explore alternative means of pressure ulcer treatment.

UVC or placebo UVC will be applied to wounds three times per week. Intact skin around the wound edge and the wound base will be irradiated.

Inclusion Criteria:

• traumatic, non-traumatic or congenital spinal cord injury C2-L2
• pressure ulcer stage 2 or higher

Exclusion Criteria:

• neoplastic wound
• wound surgically repaired within past 3 months
• wound currently treated with negative pressure therapy