Effects of silver sulfadiazine on wound healing in a diabetic rat model: A combined macroscopic and infrared thermographic assessment

Infrared thermography (IRT) provides a non-invasive method for monitoring wound healing through local temperature changes. This study investigated the potential of IRT for non-invasive monitoring of wound healing in a diabetic rat model, using silver sulfadiazine (SSD)–treated and control wounds as comparative groups. Sixteen male Wistar albino rats were randomly allocated into two groups: a control (CNT) group and an SSD-treated group (n = 8). Experimental diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (65 mg·kg–1). After 1.5×1.5 cm full-thickness excisional wounds on the dorsal surface, topical normal saline was administered to the CNT group, whereas the SSD group received topical silver sulfadiazine treatment. Wound area and thermographic measurements (intra-wound, wound-edge, and normal skin temperatures) were assessed on days 0, 3, 7, and 14, and thermographic images were analyzed using Trotec IC-IR Report software. At days 7 and 14, intra-wound and wound-edge temperatures were lower in the SSD group than in the CNT group, whereas normal skin temperature was higher in the SSD group on day 14. However, the overall group × time interactions were not statistically significant. Wound area decreased significantly over time (P<0.001), with numerically smaller wound areas in the SSD group at days 7 and 14; however, the group × time interaction was not statistically significant (P=0.105). In conclusion, IRT provided a useful, non-invasive approach for monitoring wound healing through local temperature changes in a diabetic wound model, while SSD was associated with numerically smaller wound areas and lower local temperatures during later healing.