Simple and Effective: 2% Citric Acid Ointment for Wound-Bed Preparation in Chronic, Infected Wounds
Summary: A case series from India (MIMSR Medical College, Latur) reports on 24 chronic wounds that failed conventional therapy for more than three weeks. Application of 2% citric acid ointment once daily led to healthy granulation tissue in **all cases** (3 to 20 applications), even with antibiotic-resistant bacteria present. The approach offers a low-cost, accessible option for wound bed preparation when standard treatments fall short.
Key Highlights:
- Wounds included large raw areas and were resistant to standard treatments (various antiseptics, topical antimicrobials) for over three weeks.
- Cultures identified multiple organisms: most common Staph aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, etc.; many were multidrug resistant.
- No systemic antibiotics were used unless systemic symptoms (fever, toxemia) present; local citric acid alone controlled infection and induced granulation.
- Healthy granulation suitable for grafting or continued healing observed in all patients after 3 to 20 topical applications. No local toxicity reported.
- Authors note limitations including small sample size, observational design, absence of control; however results suggest potent efficacy of citric acid ointment in challenging wounds.
Read the full article in *Wound Management & Prevention*
Keywords:
citric acid ointment,
wound bed preparation,
chronic infected wounds,
MIMSR Medical College,
antibiotic resistant organisms