title: Prediction of wound healing in human diabetic foot ulcers by diffuse near-infrared spectroscopy: a pilot study.
abstract: A human study was conducted in which the efficacy of in vivo diffuse near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was demonstrated in predicting wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers. Sixteen chronic diabetic wounds were followed and assessed for subsurface oxy-hemoglobin concentration using the NIR device. Weekly measurements were conducted until there was wound closure, limb amputation, or 20 completed visits without healing. Digital photography measured wound size, and the degree of wound contraction was compared with the NIR results. In the 16 patients followed, seven wounds healed, six limbs were amputated, and three wounds remained opened after 20 visits. The initial values in subsurface hemoglobin concentration in all wounds were higher than the nonwound control sites. Healed wounds showed a consistent reduction of hemoglobin concentration several weeks before closure that approached control site values. In wounds that did not heal or resulted in amputation of the limb, the hemoglobin concentration remained elevated. In some cases, these nonhealing wounds appeared to be improving clinically. A negative slope for the rate of change of hemoglobin concentration was indicative of healing across all wounds. In conclusion, evaluation of wounds using NIR may provide an effective measurement of wound healing. NIR spectroscopy can determine wound healing earlier than that visibly assessed by current clinical approaches.
authors.affiliation: Drexel University College of Medicine, Surgery, Philadelphia, PA 19072, USA. michael.weingarten@drexelmed.edu
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Weingarten
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neidrauer
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mateo
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McDaniel
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouraee
authors.forename: Leonid
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zubkov
authors.forename: Kambiz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pourrezaei
authors.forename: Elisabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Papazoglou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins