Petroleum Jelly vs. Saline in Tracheostomy Wound Care and Ulcer Prevention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of petroleum jelly application and sodium chloride irrigation in preventing pressure ulcers and promoting tracheostomy wound healing. Trial registration: TCTR20240806002 (Thai Clinical Trials Registry), registered on August 6, 2024. Retrospectively registered. (https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20240806002) Study Design : Prospective randomized controlled trial Setting : Tertiary referral center, a university-based hospital Methods: This study enrolled 28 participants, aged 18–80 years, who underwent tracheostomy procedures at Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University. They were randomly assigned using a block of four randomization methods to either the petroleum jelly application group or the sodium chloride irrigation (0.9% NaCl solution) group. The outcomes were evaluated by one physician and one nurse at 1, 2, and 4 weeks postoperatively using the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) Tool and Skin Integrity Score. Results: The petroleum jelly application group demonstrated significantly lower mean scores on the PUSH Tool at 1, 2, and 4 weeks than the sodium chloride irrigation group. Moreover, the petroleum jelly application group exhibited significantly higher median scores for skin integrity at 1, 2, and 4 weeks than the sodium chloride irrigation group. The interrater reliability between the two assessors was good to excellent. Conclusions: The participants who received petroleum jelly application following tracheostomy demonstrated better results in preventing pressure ulcers and maintaining skin integrity compared with those who received sodium chloride irrigation.