Effect of Aloe vera gel on wound healing process for diabetic foot ulcers: A pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: Patients who experience diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) should have undertaken prompt wound care. Currently, the principles of wound care have shifted to the moist principles of a wide range of treatments, advanced technology, and complementary alternative therapy. This study aimed to investigate the effects ofAloe vera gel therapy as a complementary alternative therapy to promote wound healing of DFU. Methods: This study used a quantitative with a prospective design. Eight patients in the intervention group and nine in the control group were allocated based on the consecutive sampling technique. The intervention group used aloe vera gel once every two days, while for the control group, wounds were treated every day using NaCl at 0.9 %. The wound healing progress was observed for three weeks. Results: The results confirmed that the mean score of the Bates Jensen Score in the intervention group decreased, which indicates that the wound healing process was improved by using the Aloe vera gel by 13.38 % (p <0.001), which was higher than in the control group. Conclusion: Aloe vera gel, as a complementary alternative therapy accelerates the wound healing process in DFU. Further research with larger sample size and conducted in various regions may be beneficial to improve the evidence.