Clinical efficacy observation on combination of narrow-spectrum medium-wave ultraviolet, red light, and low power He-Ne laser in treating post-burn eczema

Objective To investigate the clinical effects of combined utilization of narrow-spectrum medium-wave ultraviolet, red light, and low power He-Ne laser on treatment of post-burn eczema. Methods From July 2014 to July 2017, 80 patients with post-burn eczema who met the study inclusion criteria were treated in our burn rehabilitation center, and their clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into ultraviolet treatment group, red light treatment group, laser treatment group, and combination treatment group according to the utilized treatment methods, with 20 cases in each group. Patients in ultraviolet treatment group were treated with narrow-spectrum medium-wave ultraviolet once every other day for 10 minutes each time. Patients in red light treatment group and laser treatment group were treated with red-light and low power He-Ne laser respectively once a day for 10 minutes each time. Patients in combination treatment group were treated with combination of the above three methods without sequence or interval time, and the treatment time and interval time were the same as the previously described. All patients were treated for four weeks since the time of admission. The itching degree, surface area of the affected body, degree of keratosis, and degree of cracking of target tissue were evaluated using Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scoring method after each treatment. Eczema improvement rate was calculated according to the total score of EASI to determine the curative effect. The therapeutic effective time was recorded. The therapeutic effective rate was calculated according to the total scores of EASI before treatment for the first time and 4 weeks after treatment. Besides, the adverse reactions of patients were also observed and recorded. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test, Wilcoxon signed rank sum test, one-way analysis of variance, Least Significant Difference-t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results Therapeutic effective times of eczema of patients in ultraviolet treatment group, red light treatment group, and laser treatment group were similar, respectively (13.7±1.3), (16.4±1.6), and (15.1±1.7) d (t=0.32, 0.58, 0.74, P>0.05). The therapeutic effective time of combination treatment group was (6.3±0.9) d, significantly shorter than that of ultraviolet treatment group, red light treatment group, or laser treatment group (t=5.62, 4.72, 4.61, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with those before treatment for the first time, eczema itching degree, surface area of affected body, degree of keratosis, degree of cracking, and total score of EASI of patients in ultraviolet treatment group, red light treatment group, laser treatment group, and combination treatment group showed obvious improvement in 4 weeks after treatment (Z=5.372, 4.392, 4.284, 3.998, 4.092, 3.904, 4.042, 4.216, 3.684, 3.890, 5.081, 4.794, 4.094, 3.493, 3.995, 5.084, 4.903, 4.384, 3.995, 4.063, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Each item score and total score of EASI of eczema of patients in the first three groups were close (P>0.05), while each item score and total score of EASI of eczema of patients in combination treatment group was significantly better than those of ultraviolet treatment group, red light treatment group, and laser treatment group (H=2.482, 2.491, 3.583, 3.462, 6.025, 2.492, 3.693, 3.085, 3.482, 6.042, 5.831, 5.831, 4.893, 4.092, 6.931, P<0.05). Therapeutic effective rates of eczema of patients in ultraviolet treatment group, red light treatment group, and laser treatment group were close, respectively 60%, 60%, and 55% (χ²=1.46, 1.63, 0.97, P>0.05). The therapeutic effective rate of eczema of patients in combination treatment group was 90%, significantly higher than that of ultraviolet treatment group, red light treatment group, or laser treatment group (χ²=3.43, 4.15, 2.97, P<0.05 or P<0.01). There were no serious adverse reactions appeared in patients of all the four groups after treatment. Three patients in ultraviolet treatment group had local skin erythema, which was alleviated after symptomatic treatment. Conclusions Combination of narrow-spectrum medium-wave ultraviolet, red light, and low power He-Ne laser in treating post-burn eczema is superior to single therapy in terms of clinical effective time and efficacy, which has no obvious adverse reaction and is worthy of promotion.