CA2100314C

CA2100314C - Pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of chronic skin ulcers

Info

Publication number: CA2100314C
Application number: CA 2100314
Authority: CA
Inventors: Pierre Rochon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-07-12
Filing date: 1993-07-12
Publication date: 1996-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 2013-07-12
Also published as: CA2100314A1; GB2280370A; GB9413939D0; DE4424548A1; FR2707497A1

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.

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.

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 -3 `
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.

Claims

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.