Maria Emília de Abreu Chaves

Effects of low-power light therapy on wound healing: LASER x LED

Several studies demonstrate the benefits of low-power light therapy on wound healing. However, the use of LED as a therapeutic resource remains controversial. There are questions regarding the equality or not of biological effects promoted by LED and LASER. One objective of this review was to determine the biological effects that support the use of LED on wound healing. Another objective was to identify LED´s parameters for the treatment of wounds. The biological effects and parameters of LED will be compared to those of LASER. Literature was obtained from online databases such as Medline, PubMed, Science Direct and Scielo. The search was restricted to studies published in English and Portuguese from 1992 to 2012. Sixty-eight studies in vitro and in animals were analyzed. LED and LASER promote similar biological effects, such as decrease of inflammatory cells, increased fibroblast proliferation, stimulation of angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation and increased synthesis of collagen. The irradiation parameters are also similar between LED and LASER. The biological effects are dependent on irradiation parameters, mainly wavelength and dose. This review elucidates the importance of defining parameters for the use of light devices.

LED Phototherapy Improves Healing of Nipple Trauma: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a LED phototherapy prototype apparatus in the healing of nipple trauma in breastfeeding women. BACKGROUND DATA There is no scientific evidence of an effective treatment for nipple trauma. METHODS The experimental group was treated with orientation on nipple care and adequate breastfeeding techniques in addition to active LED phototherapy. The control group was treated with orientation on nipple care and adequate breastfeeding techniques in addition to placebo LED phototherapy. Participants were treated twice a week, for a total of eight sessions. Healing of the nipple lesions was measured by a reduction in their area, and decrease in pain intensity was measured in accordance with an 11-point Pain Intensity Numerical Rating Scale and a standard 7-point patient global impression of change. RESULTS Statistically significant reductions in measured nipple lesion area (p<0.001) were observed for both the experimental and control groups with an increase in the number of treatment sessions. A significant difference between the experimental and control groups was observed for the healing of nipple lesions (p<0.001). The pain intensity was significantly reduced only in the experimental group (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Preliminary results demonstrated the prototype apparatus for LED phototherapy to be an effective tool in accelerating the healing of nipple trauma.

Evaluation of healing of pressure ulcers through thermography: a preliminary study

Introduction: Thermography is a surface thermal radiation measurement technique whose application has been expanding in the healthcare field. The unhealed wound is a serious public health problem because it intervenes in the quality of life of patients and may cause emotional and psychological losses. The wound temperature can provide quantitative data that allow for the healing process to be monitored. The aim of this study was to verify whether thermography can be used as a method to evaluate the healing of pressure ulcers. Methods: Eight participants with sacral pressure ulcers were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: A (control) and B (experimental). Both groups received standard treatment for a period of four weeks, which consisted of a daily cleaning of the pressure ulcers with physiological saline (sodium chloride 0.9%) followed by an alginate hydrogel dressing. The group B received light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy in addition to standard treatment, three times a week, yielding a total of 12 sessions. Photographs and thermograms of each pressure ulcer were obtained in all sessions in both groups. Results: Pressure ulcers treated with LED phototherapy were healed. The pressure ulcer area of group B decreased over the 12 treatment sessions, whereas the pressure ulcer area of group A increased. The ulcer temperature of group B was higher than that of group A during the treatment (temperature difference up to 7.6%). Discussion: The present study suggests a relationship between the temperature and area of pressure ulcers and proposes thermography as an adjunctive method for the evaluation of healing processes.

O ultrassom é efetivo no tratamento da tendinite calcárea do ombro

Introducao: A tendinite calcaria do ombro e uma calcificacao caracterizada pela deposicao de sais de calcio nos tendoes do manguito rotador, provocando dor no ombro e perda de amplitude de movimento (ADM). O ultrassom e sugerido como alternativa promissora para facilitar a reabsorcao dos depositos de calcio. Os mecanismos que fundamentam esse efeito sao, entretanto, ainda controversos na literatura, e a utilizacao clinica do ultrassom na tendinite calcaria tem sido baseada mais em evidencias empiricas do que cientificas. Objetivos: Realizar uma revisao bibliografica sobre os efeitos biologicos e terapeuticos do ultrassom, a fim de identificar o real papel desse recurso no tratamento da tendinite calcaria do ombro. Materiais e metodos: Para sua elaboracao, foi feita uma busca bibliografica em bases de dados eletronicas e uma pesquisa manual. Resultados: Dentre os estudos selecionados, dois demonstraram reducao da dor e do tamanho da calcificacao e dois nao apresentaram resultados positivos. Discussao: Os beneficios promovidos pelo ultrassom sao dependentes dos parâmetros utilizados. Variaveis como o tamanho da area a ser tratada, diferencas teciduais, duracao da aplicacao e o objetivo da conduta terapeutica tambem devem ser considerados. Conclusao: Com base nesta revisao, pode-se afirmar que o ultrassom terapeutico e um recurso efetivo no tratamento da tendinite calcaria do ombro.