The effect of ostrich oil on the improvement of pressure ulceres in premature infants: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Due to the lack of a fully developed barrier, the skin of premature babies is more vulnerable compared to term babies and is exposed to infection and other risks. Therefore, it is necessary to implement measures to prevent the occurrence and rapid treatment of skin injuries in premature babies. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of ostrich oil on the rate of healing of pressure ulcers in premature babies. Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial that was conducted on 62 premature infants hospitalized in the NICUs of Al-Zahra Hospital. The inclusion criteria included the gestational age of 28 to 32 weeks and the presence of a pressure ulcer requiring treatment and having a written order from the attending physician. The exclusion criteria were the presence of skin problems at birth/autoimmunity, having skin allergies, and the sending, discharge or death of the baby before the end of the study period. The samples were included in the study using convenience sampling method. Then they were assigned into intervention and control groups using random block method of four and six. Babies in the control group received routine pressure ulcer treatment. In the intervention group, in addition to the routine treatment, ostrich oil was used on the skin wound, according to the doctor's order, every eight hours and the wound healing score was checked using the PUSH Score tool in 10 days. The collected data were entered into SPSS version 23 software and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U with adjustment of the base score. Findings: In the first to seventh days after the intervention, the average and standard deviation of the PUSH score between the two groups did not have a statistically significant difference, but on the eighth to the tenth day of the study, the PUSH score in the intervention group infants was lower than the control group infants. It was statistically significant (P˂0.001). Also, there was a statistically significant difference in the time required for complete healing of the pressure ulcer in the intervention and control groups (P=0.008). Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, the topical use of ostrich oil could reduce the healing speed of pressure ulcers in premature babies, so it can be suggested to use this animal oil as a safe and uncomplicated treatment in neonatal intensive care units.