A Comparative Study on Effectiveness of Ultrasound Therapy and Low Level Laser Therapy in the Management of Second Stage Pressure Sores

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Ultrasound and Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) on second stage pressure sores so as to be able to deliver better therapy for pressure sore patients on wound healing.

Forty subjects were taken for the study along with the routine medical management. 20 subjects receive the pulsed ultrasound therapy three times a week for four weeks with frequency of 3 MHz, and intensity of 0.5W/cm2 to 0.8 W/cm2, for five min with direct technique using hydrogel sheet. Another 20 subjects received the LLLT. The laser emission device used was Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) (904 nm) laser. It was made of a semiconductor infrared radiation source. The non contact method of application was used with 0.5 to 4.0 J/cm2 for 2 min for three times a week for 4 weeks. The wounds were traced before starting the treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment, on transparent paper and wound area was calculated with digitizer (AutoCAD software).

The results showed a significant (p = 0.001) decrease in pressure sore surface area in both ultrasound and laser group. When both the groups were compared, the laser therapy is found to be more beneficial than the ultrasound therapy (p=0.046).

Both ultrasound and laser can be used in the management of pressure sores. However in the present study it is seen that LLLT is more beneficial than the ultrasound therapy in the management of pressure sores.