Background: Management of scalp pressure ulcers (SPU) in patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) remains a challenge. The impossibility of freely moving the head due to different factors, such as the intubation, enteral nutrition, dialysis and use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, makes the management of these wounds problematic. The authors present their early clinical experience in the treatment of SPU with a novel aerosol formulation of silver sulfadiazine. Methods: A prospective case series including all patients with SPU who were treated with an aerosol formula that includes silver sulfadiazine, lidocaine and vitamin A (Platsul A®, Soubeiran Chobet, Argentina) was carried out. Wound dressings were changed every 12 hours. The wound was cleansed and aerosol and occlusion with sterile gauze applied. The evolution of each SPU was gauged with pictures and measurements of the affected area every 48 hours. In order to determine the total wound area, pictures were analysed using the Informatics Image System from the US National Institute of Health. Results: Six patients were prospectively followed and included in this study. There were two females and four males. The average age was 70.8 years (range 41–99 years), while the average hospital stay in the ICU was 14 days (range 5–22 days). None of these patients experienced wound progression to a more critical stage. One patient had a favourable resolution from stage IV to stage II. Also, none of the SPU showed clinical signs of a local infection. The average quantity of aerosol used per dressing was 1.3 ml, which represents 2.6 mm/day and a cost of U$S1.45. The cost of hydrocolloid dressings at the authors’ institution is U$S8.24 per dressing, representing an important cost saving. Conclusions: In this case series, the use of this novel aerosol formulation of silver sulfadiazine has shown promising results in the treatment of SPU in patients admitted to an ICU, facilitating healing and saving money. Further and larger studies to confirm these encouraging preliminary results are warranted.
