PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC SKIN ULCERS

PREPARATION PHARMACEUTIQUE POUR LE TRAITEMENT DE L'ULCERE CHRONIQUE DE LA PEAU

English Abstract

A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment
of chronic skin ulcers comprises as active ingredient a
mixture of 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol and boric acid,
together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier
therefor. The composition of the invention is effective
for clearing bacterial infection and stimulating cell
growth.

Claims

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The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-


1. A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment
of chronic skin ulcers, comprising as active ingredient a
mixture of 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol and boric acid,
together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier
therefor.


2. A pharmaceutical composition according to claim
1, comprising about 1 wt.% of 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol
and about 6 wt.% of boric acid, based on the total weight
of the composition.



3. A pharmaceutical composition according to claim
1 or 2, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is
water.



4. A pharmaceutical composition according to claim
1 or 2, further comprising about 8 wt.% of pine oil and
about 9 wt.% of isopropyl alcohol, based on the total
weight of the composition.



5. A pharmaceutical composition according to claim
1, comprising about 40 parts by volume of DETTOL
(trademark), about 7 parts by volume of boric acid and
about 123 parts by volume of water.




6. Use of 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol in admixture
with boric acid for treating chronic skin ulcers.


7. Use of DETTOL (trademark) in admixture with
boric acid for treating chronic skin ulcers.

Description

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The present invention relates to improvements in
the field of topical dermatologic therapy. More
particularly, the invention is directed to a
pharmaceutical composition for topical use in the
treatment of chronic skin ulcers.
Persons suffering from diabetes are prone to
ulceration of their extremities such as hands and feet,
due to the high sugar content of the blood which impairs
blood circulation. Skin ulcers are characterized by a
loss of epidermis and at least part of the dermis, which
generally leads to chronic bacterial infections. These
infections seldom respond to systemic antibiotics since
the poor circulatory system of a diabetic prevents an
adequate supply of blood to the extremities, and thus of
the antibiotics. Topical antibiotics, on the other hand,
are ineffective in most bacterial skin infections and may
cause allergic contact dermatitis. As a result, the
infection cannot be controlled and in order to prevent it
from spreading to adjacent parts of the body, the diabetic
has no other alternative but to undergo amputation of the
infected extremity.
It is therefore an object of the present
invention to overcome the above drawbacks and to provide a
pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of chronic
skin ulcers.
In accordance with the present invention, there
is thus provided a pharmaceutical composition for treating
chronic skin ulcers and comprising, as active ingredient,
a mixture of 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol and boric acid,
together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier
therefor.


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Applicant has found quite unexpectedly that 4-
chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol when used in admixture with
boric acid is highly effective for treating chronic skin
ulcers. The composition of the invention not only enables
the infection to be cleared up, but also promotes skin
granulation without the formation of scars.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
composition comprises about 1 wt.% of 4-chloro-3,5-
dimethylphenol and about 6 wt.% of boric acid, based on
the total weight of the composition. Preferably, the
pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is water.
4-Chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol is preferably used
in the form of a solution which is sold under the
trademark DETTOL and contains about 5 wt.% of 4-chloro-
3,5-dimethylphenol, about 8 wt.% of pine oil and about 9
wt.% of isopropyl alcohol, the remainder being water.
Approximately 40 parts by volume of such a solution are
admixed with about 7 parts by volume of boric acid, and
the resulting solution is diluted with approximately 123
parts by volume of water. A preferred composition
according to the invention thus comprises about 1 wt.% of
4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, about 6 wt.% of boric acid,
about 2 wt.% of pine oil and about 2 wt.% of isopropyl
alcohol, the remainder being water.
The pharmaceutical composition of the invention
is applied to the wound area of the skin and maintained in
contact therewith for a period of approximately 20
minutes, for example, by immersing the infected extremity
in a bath containing the treating solution in the case
where the skin ulcer is located on one's hand or foot.
After immersion, the wound area with the treating solution


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thereon is covered with a gauze bandage. Such a treatment
is repeated every 12 hours until complete healing of the
wound is achieved.
It is believed that 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol
and boric acid coact synergistically to suppress bacterial
activity and stimulate cell growth. The healing process
proceeds without the formation of scars.
The following non-limiting example illustrates
the invention.
EXAMPLE
A pharmaceutical composition for treating skin
ulcers was prepared by mixing the following ingredients:
- DETTOL : 400 ml
- Boric acid : 70 ml
- Water : 1230 ml
The resulting solution was applied to a chronic
skin ulcer on a diabetic's foot by immersing the foot in a
bath containing the solution, for a period of
approximately 20 minutes. After immersion, the wound area
with the treating solution thereon was covered with a
gauze bandage. This treatment was repeated every 12
hours. Complete healing of the ulcer was observed after
approximately six months of treatment.