Safety and Efficacy of Locally Manufactured Hypochlorous Acid Solution in the Management of Acute and Chronic Wounds in a Tertiary Public Hospital in the Philippines: A Single Arm Validation Study

Abstract

Chronic non-healing wounds represent a prevalent concern encountered at the Surgery Out-Patient Department of Valenzuela Medical Center, constituting a substantial portion of in-patient referrals from various medical specialties like Internal Medicine for collaborative management. Consequently, several institutions have established dedicated Wound Care Clinics, although such specialized facilities remain scarce across the Philippines. Compounded by the escalating incidence of conditions like Diabetes Mellitus, Immunosuppression, Peripheral Vascular Disease and Malnutrition which hinder wound healing, the challenge persists in effectively addressing the substantial patient load. Chronic wounds necessitate prolonged treatment periods, imposing significant financial burdens on patients seeking care at outpatient facilities. At our institution, we employ Hypochlorous (HOCl) Acid solution as one of the irrigating solutions for both acute and chronic non-healing wounds. Widely recognized in the medical field for its antiseptic properties, this solution finds versatile applications, including as nasal and pharyngeal sprays, intra-operative peritoneal lavage solutions, ocular solutions, hemodialysis solutions, peritoneal dialysates, intravenous fluids, fogging solutions for airborne pathogen sterilization, and as a topical treatment for wound care patients. This study endeavors to furnish substantial data on the effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and clinical safety of utilizing locally manufactured HOCl Acid in the management of non-healing wounds.