Condition

Decubitus ulcer

Clinical trials and treatment information for Decubitus ulcer

646K
People Affected
50
Active Trials
65K
New Cases/Year
37K
Deaths/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Pressure Redistribution Surfaces (e.g., Alternating Pressure Mattress)
90% Effectiveness• 92% Confidence• 95% Safety• 300 trials• 35K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: Continuous use
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

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95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate pressure reduction, wound healing visible in weeks

Duration

Continuous until healing, then long-term for prevention

Response Rate

70%

Remission Rate

60%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

8

Common Side Effects:

Skin irritation from moisture: 3%
Device malfunction: 1%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$300

Side Effects

$100

Total Annual

$400

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.4

ICER

$30,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$2,500

Cost per Responder

$2,142.86

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+90%
Response Rate
+70%
Remission Rate
+60%
Common Side Effects
Skin irritation from moisture
+3%
Device malfunction
+1%
2
Debridement (Sharp, Enzymatic, Autolytic)
88% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 85% Safety• 200 trials• 20K participants
HIGH EvidenceGood ValueDose: As per method (e.g., surgical procedure, daily enzyme application)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

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85
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate removal of necrotic tissue, promotes healing over days-weeks

Duration

Repeated as needed until wound bed is clean

Response Rate

85%

Remission Rate

60%

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

50

Common Side Effects:

Pain (sharp debridement): 25%
Bleeding (sharp debridement): 5%
Skin irritation (enzymatic debridement): 3%
Infection: 2%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$300

Side Effects

$200

Total Annual

$500

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.3

Cost per Remission

$2,500

Cost per Responder

$1,764.71

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+88%
Response Rate
+85%
Remission Rate
+60%
Common Side Effects
Pain (sharp debridement)
+25%
Bleeding (sharp debridement)
+5%
Skin irritation (enzymatic debridement)
+3%
3
Advanced Wound Dressings (e.g., Hydrocolloids, Foams, Alginates)
85% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 90% Safety• 400 trials• 45K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: Applied as per manufacturer, changed every 1-7 days
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

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Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
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Morphine💊
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90
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate protection, visible healing in days-weeks

Duration

Weeks to months, until wound closure

Response Rate

75%

Remission Rate

60%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

10

Common Side Effects:

Periwound maceration: 5%
Skin irritation/allergic reaction: 2%
Pain on removal: 3%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$300

Side Effects

$50

Total Annual

$350

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.2

ICER

$20,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$2,000

Cost per Responder

$1,600

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+85%
Response Rate
+75%
Remission Rate
+60%
Common Side Effects
Periwound maceration
+5%
Skin irritation/allergic reaction
+2%
Pain on removal
+3%
4
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT)
82% Effectiveness• 88% Confidence• 80% Safety• 19 trials• 18K participants
HIGH EvidenceGood ValueDose: Continuous or intermittent negative pressure (e.g., -75 to -125 mmHg)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
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80
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Visible changes in wound bed in days, healing weeks-months

Duration

Weeks to months

Response Rate

80%

Remission Rate

65%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

6

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

30

Common Side Effects:

Pain: 10%
Bleeding: 5%
Periwound skin damage: 7%
Infection: 4%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$500

Side Effects

$300

Total Annual

$8,000

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.5

ICER

$50,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$12,307.69

Cost per Responder

$10,000

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Wound Surface Area Reduction40 cm²
-40% (-16 cm²)
Granulation Tissue Formation20% of wound bed
+250% (+50 percentage points (from 20% to 70%))
Exudate Volume Reduction50 mL/day
-40% (-20 mL/day)
Secondary Benefits
Pain Score Reduction6/10 on VAS
-33.33% (-2 points on VAS (0-10 scale))
Time to Definitive Wound Closure/Surgical Readiness12 weeks
-33.33% (-4 weeks)
Hospital Length of Stay30 days
-20% (-6 days)
Common Side Effects
Pain
+10%
Bleeding
+5%
Periwound skin damage
+7%
5
Nutritional Support (High Protein, Vitamin C, Zinc)
78% Effectiveness• 85% Confidence• 90% Safety• 180 trials• 15K participants
MODERATE EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: Varies (e.g., 20-40g protein supplement daily, 500-1000mg Vitamin C daily, 15-50mg Zinc daily)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

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Meth💀
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Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
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Water💧
90
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Weeks to months for systemic improvement to impact wound healing

Duration

Ongoing throughout healing process

Response Rate

60%

Remission Rate

40%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

12

Common Side Effects:

Gastrointestinal upset: 5%
Nausea: 2%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$600

Monitoring

$50

Side Effects

$20

Total Annual

$670

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.2

ICER

$10,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$1,675

Cost per Responder

$1,116.67

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+78%
Response Rate
+60%
Remission Rate
+40%
Common Side Effects
Gastrointestinal upset
+5%
Nausea
+2%
6
Surgical Reconstruction (Flaps, Grafts)
75% Effectiveness• 80% Confidence• 50% Safety• 80 trials• 8K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: Surgical procedure
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

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Meth💀
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50
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate closure, long recovery (weeks-months)

Duration

One-time surgery with extensive post-operative care (weeks to months)

Response Rate

85%

Remission Rate

70%

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

15

Common Side Effects:

Flap failure/necrosis: 10%
Wound infection: 8%
Bleeding/hematoma: 7%
Recurrence of ulcer: 30%
Anesthesia risks: 5%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$1,000

Side Effects

$2,000

Total Annual

$60,000

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

1

ICER

$75,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$85,714.29

Cost per Responder

$70,588.24

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+75%
Response Rate
+85%
Remission Rate
+70%
Common Side Effects
Flap failure/necrosis
+10%
Wound infection
+8%
Bleeding/hematoma
+7%