Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Aim: To compare the effectiveness of octenidine dihydrochloride and saline dressing in treating diabetic foot ulcers. Material and methods: This research was a prospective comparative investigation carried out at the Department of General Surgery, after the permission of the protocol review committee and institutional ethics committee. All patients with diabetic foot ulcers lasting longer than 6 weeks, who expressed their willingness to participate in the trial. All patients were provided with a comprehensive discussion of the approach, risks, advantages, outcomes, and any issues related with the treatment. This research comprised a total of 200 patients, including 100 individuals in each arm of the Octenidine dihydrochloride dressing group and the Saline dressing group. Results: The average surface area of the wound in the saline group was as follows: at baseline it was 11.01 sq.cm, in the 2nd week it was 10.22 sq.cm, in the 4th week it was 9.69 sq.cm, and in the 6th week it was 8.22 sq.cm. In contrast, in the octenidine dihydrochloride group, the average surface area of the wound was 12.42 sq.cm at baseline, 10.22 sq.cm in the 2nd week, 7.36 sq.cm in the 4th week, and 5.49 sq.cm in the 6th week (as shown in table 2). After a duration of 6 weeks, the octenidine dihydrochloride dressing group exhibited a greater average decrease in wound surface area compared to the saline dressing group. These findings are statistically significant, with a p-value of less than 0.05. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the Octenidine dihydrochloride dressing is superior to the saline dressing in promoting expedited wound healing, avoiding infections, and reducing morbidity in patients with chronic diabetic foot ulcers. Moreover, the Octenidine dihydrochloride dressing has a wide range of antimicrobial properties, effectively targeting the biofilm that often develops in individuals with diabetes.