Traumatic fingertip amputations are common hand injuries requiring optimal wound management. This study evaluated the efficacy of topical timolol maleate ۰٫۵% and the impact of nurse-led wound care on healing outcomes in patients managed by secondary intention.
Methods: In this prospective randomized clinical trial, ۱۵۰ adults with fingertip amputations were randomized to topical timolol ۰٫۵% or standard care. A structured nurse-led protocol including patient education, daily wound care, medication application training, and adherence monitoring was implemented in both groups. Primary outcome was the rate of complete wound healing at 2 weeks; time to complete healing was reported descriptively as a secondary outcome.
Findings: The timolol group showed significantly faster healing at ۲ weeks (۶۵٫۲% vs ۳۸٫۶%, p=۰٫۰۰۲) and lower infection rate (۰% vs ۵٫۷%, p=۰٫۱۲, ). All wounds healed completely by ۴ weeks with comparable excellent sensory recovery. No systemic or local adverse effects were observed, consistent with good tolerability in this sample.
Conclusion: Topical timolol maleate, when integrated with a nurse-led interprofessional wound management protocol, significantly accelerated early wound healing and was associated with fewer infections in traumatic fingertip amputations. This study underscores the critical value of collaborative physician-nurse approaches in optimizing outcomes for acute hand injuries.