A STUDY OF TOPICAL AND SYSTEMIC PROSTAGLANDIN-E1 AND SURVIVAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SKIN FLAPS

A study has been undertaken to investigate Prostaglandin El administra tion procedure for improving flap survival. Whether the drug was admin istered continuously or transcutaneously using a silicone gel drug del ivery system; or was topically injected into the critical zone of the flap; or was intraperitoneally administered intermittently over an hou r after surgery a statistically significant improvement of flap surviv al occurred (P < 0.01, Student's t-test). However, no improvement of f lap survival was seen when the drug was administered only once intrape ritoneally immediately after flap elevation, although administered dos es of the drug in those rats was equal to the doses in the rats which received intermittent administration of the drug intraperitoneally ove r an hour after surgery.