Treatment of leprosy wounds with adhesive zinc tape

Abstract

For many years ordinary adhesive zinc tape has been used in the treatment of local wounds. The tape is applied to wounds in many different ways and has proved valuable in the dissolution and removal of tissue necroses - particularly in the case of burns - and in cleansing infected wounds. Experimental studies in rats comparing the healing times of small excisional wounds treated with gauze sponges or zinc tape have shown that there is a shorter healing time when the tape is used. In two hospitals in India 90 leprosy patients with a total of 128 ulcers on the soles of their feet were treated with local applications of zinc or gauze soaked in Eusol. The patients were selected on a random alternate basis. The average healing time was shorter for the tape-treated ulcers compared to the gauze-treated ulcers in both hospitals. The zinc tape was easy to apply, could be worn in shoes without causing pressure and was socially acceptable because no bandages were needed.