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Transcutaenous electrical nerve stimulation to manage a lower extremity wound complicated by peripheral arterial disease: a case report.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is used to alleviate muscle pain, and there is some evidence it may affect healing in chronic wounds. An 80-year-old male patient with a chronic left lower extremity wound and a history of peripheral arterial disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer presented for treatment. Previous protocols of care, mainly consisting of sharp debridement and daily dressing changes, had not resulted in a decrease in wound size. The patient had right and left iliac artery stenosis - not amenable to surgical intervention - and an ankle brachial index (ABI) of 0.63 on the left and 0.59 on the right lower extremities. On presentation, the wound measured 3.0 cm x 2.0 cm with a depth of 0.3 cm and a 0.5-cm tract at the 5 o'clock position. Treatment was changed to application of an ionic silver-containing Hydrofiber™ dressing and low-frequency TENS. Electrodes were applied 2 cm superior and inferior to the wound margin at a frequency of 2 Hz with a pulse width of 250 microseconds and amplitude of 33 mA. Treatment time was 45 minutes, twice daily, for 3 months, performed at home by the patient and his caregiver. After 4 weeks, wound dimensions decreased by 1.51% per day, and the wound was completely healed (100% epithelialized) after 12 weeks. At that time, the ABI of the left (treated) leg had increased to 0.71. Research is needed to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of low-frequency TENS to help clinicians provide evidenced-based treatment for wounds complicated by decreased blood flow.