Bacterial cellulose an effective material in the treatment of chronic venous ulcers of the lower limbs.

Chronic venous ulcers (CVU) of the lower limbs (LL) are common and cause psychological changes and significant social impact, as they make the patient susceptible to pain, absence from work and social bonds. Some materials are suggested as dressings for the treatment of CVU, but they are expensive and are generally not available for use in public health services. To evaluate the efficacy of the treatment for lower limbs (LL) chronic venous ulcer (CVU) using bacterial cellulose (BC), gel and multi-perforated film associated. A randomized controlled clinical-intervention study was performed among participants with LL CVU, divided into two groups: experimental (EG), treated with BC wound dressing and control (CG), treated with a cellulose acetate mesh impregnated with essential fatty acids (Rayon®). The participants were followed for 180 days, evaluated according to the MEASURE methodology. Thirty-nine patients were treated, 20 from the EG and 19 from the CG. In both groups, the wound area decreased significantly (p < 0.001), the healing rate was similar to the CG. The mean number of dressing changes in the SG was 18.33 ± 11.78, while in the CG it was 55.24 ± 25.81, p < 0.001. The healing dressing of bacterial cellulose, gel and associated film, when stimulating the epithelization of the lesions, showed a significant reduction in the initial area, with a percentage of cure similar to the Rayon® coverage. In addition to requiring less direct manipulation of ulcers.