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Abstract
Background: Cold plasma is increasingly used as an adjunctive treatment for soft-tissue wounds and neonatal umbilical stump care. This study described the cold plasma application protocol and evaluated the efficacy and safety of PlasmaMED treatment combined with routine umbilical care compared with routine care alone.
Methods: This controlled interventional study included 501 neonates. Of these, 258 received routine umbilical care combined with PlasmaMED treatment, while 243 received routine care alone. Outcomes included signs of inflammation, omphalitis, time to umbilical stump drying and separation, adverse events, readmission due to omphalitis, and parent/caregiver satisfaction.
Results: Gender, gestational age, birth weight, and mode of delivery were comparable between the two groups (p>0.05). The PlasmaMED group had a lower rate of omphalitis than the control group (2.3% vs. 6.2%; p=0.032; OR=0.36; 95% CI: 0.14–0.95). The mean times to stump drying and separation were shorter in the PlasmaMED group than in the control group (7.76 ± 2.31 vs. 8.19 ± 2.42 days; p=0.043, and 8.73 ± 2.51 vs. 9.18 ± 2.57 days; p=0.048, respectively). Readmission due to omphalitis occurred in 1.6% of neonates in the PlasmaMED group and 4.9% in the control group (p=0.041; OR=0.30; 95% CI: 0.10–0.95). No intervention-related adverse events were observed in 98.8% of neonates. 98.1% of parents/caregivers were satisfied or very satisfied.
Conclusion: PlasmaMED cold plasma treatment combined with routine care was associated with reduced umbilical inflammation and infection, shorter stump drying and separation times, fewer hospital readmissions, and high caregiver satisfaction. Larger randomized controlled trials are required to confirm its efficacy in neonates.
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| Published | 18-08-2026 | |
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| Issue | Vol. 18 No. 5 (2026) | |
| Section | Original article | |
| DOI | 10.38103/jcmhch.18.5.20 | |
| Keywords | plasma lạnh, PlasmaMED, cuống rốn, trẻ sơ sinh, nhiễm trùng rốn, rụng rốn cold plasma, PlasmaMED, umbilical stump, neonate, omphalitis, umbilical stump separation |
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