Use of Honey/Gotu Kola/κ-Carrageenan Base Hydrogel Film Dressing on Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patient in Home Care Setting: a case report

Effective management of early diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) is essential for reducing the risks of amputation and mortality.Affordable wound dressings are particularly important for low-income patients because wound healing often requires prolonged treatment.This case report describes the effects of a combined intervention on wound status and quality of life in a 54-year-old woman with a Grade 2 DFU located on the right heel.Following six weeks of standard wound care administered twice weekly at a local healthcare facility, together with glycemic self-management, the patient's blood glucose level improved from 380 mg/dL to 130 mg/dL.Despite improved glycemic control, wound healing remained limited, and the patient continued to experience substantial impairment in quality of life due to ulcer-related pain.The intervention consisted of a honey/gotu kola/κ-carrageenan base (HGCB) hydrogel film dressing applied daily in a home-care setting, combined with mechanical debridement and structured glycemic self-management.Quality of life was assessed using the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale.A cost analysis comparing HGCB hydrogel dressing with standard wound care was performed over an equivalent treatment duration.By week 12, blood glucose remained controlled, while malodor, firmly adherent slough, and peri-wound maceration had resolved, accompanied by marked improvement in quality of life.Furthermore, the cost of care associated with the HGCB hydrogel dressing was approximately half that of standard wound care.Although derived from a single case, these findings provide preliminary data for future larger-scale investigations.No adverse reactions or treatment-related complications were observed during intervention therapy.