Abstract
We investigated experimentally the effects of bleomycin hydrochloride (BLM), an antineoplastic agent, on the development of pressure ulcers in rabbits. The animals were divided into two groups. Group 1 comprised 5 treated rabbits that were administered a dose of 2.5mg/kg BLM intramuscularly once a week for 5 weeks. Group 2 comprised 5 control rabbits that were administered saline intramuscularly once a week for 5 weeks. Both macroscopic and histologic studies of the ulcers were performed. We produced pressure ulcers in the rabbits by exposing their skin over the trochanter to a pressure of 138kPa (1.4kg/cm2) for 4 h. The ulcers were studied macroscopically for 5 days after the application of pressure. A histologic study was also performed on the ulcers at 5 days, as well as on the lungs of all rabbits.
Macroscopic observation revealed severe edema at the compression site in the rabbits treated with BLM one day after release of pressure, and the healing of the pressure ulcers was also retarded in these rabbits in comparison with the ulcers in the control group. There were no histologic lesions in the lungs of any rabbits. Histologic study of the pressure ulcers revealed formation of multiple thromboses and a low level of epidermal cell proliferation in the animals treated with BLM.
