The effect of oral phenytoin and vitamin C therapy on enterocutaneous fistula healing

Introduction: Phenytoin is reported to heal the enterocutaneous fistula. Meanwhile, vitamin C is known to improve wound healing. The comparison of phenytoin and vitamin C in the treatment of enterocutaneous fistula is never reported. Methods: A randomized controlled trial with a post-test-only group design using artificial enterocutaneous fistula Ratus Norvegicus male Wistar rats were reported. Rats were divided into four groups randomly, namely, Control (K), Treatment 1: combined phenytoin and vitamin C (P1), Treatment 2: phenytoin (P2), and Treatment 3: vitamin C (P3). Variables under study were a number of fibroblast and angiogenesis. One Way Anova test, followed by the Post-Hoc Test, was used to test the difference among and between groups. Results: The mean value of fibroblasts in groups K (501.86 ± 107.10), P1 (861.53 ± 25.99), P2 (719.93 ± 24.61), P3 (781.46 ± 28.23). The mean value of angiogenesis in groups K (18.63 ± 4.24), P1 (48.86 ± 10.23), P2 (26.26 ± 1.64), P3 (31.96 ± 2.97). The Post-Hoc test showed that were significant differences in the number of fibroblasts and angiogenesis from the group given a combination of oral phenytoin and vitamin C therapy compared to the group given oral phenytoin, vitamin C, and control (p <0.05). Conclusion: A combination of oral phenytoin and vitamin C therapy increased the number of fibroblasts and angiogenesis of enterocutaneous fistula in Wistar rats, better than single.