Negative pressure wound therapy: "a rose by any other name"

Negative pressure wound therapy is one of the dominant adjunctive wound care modalities used in North America. One company has a proprietary hold on the market for this type of wound therapy and recent wound care literature has focused on the company's products rather than on the concept itself. Currently utilized standards for negative pressure wound therapy are based on a few relatively recent publications originating after 1997. However, a review of the English and Russian literature that predates this work reveals discrepancies regarding optimal duration of treatment, intensity of negative pressure, mode of application, timing of application, and intervals between treatments. A careful review of research that has rarely been cited in recent wound care literature elucidates the inconsistencies between currently held dogma and less well known negative pressure research. In order to achieve optimal outcomes of care, current practices must be re-evaluated and researched using well-established guidelines for determining treatment safety and effectiveness.     

Managing wound pain in patients with vacuum-assisted closure devices

The etiology and management of wound pain for patients with vacuum-assisted closure devices can be complex. Patients, such as the patient with necrotizing fasciitis described in this case study, may experience all three types of pain described in the Chronic Wound Pain Experience Model--acute noncyclic, acute cyclic, and chronic. Strategies that include local wound management to reduce all three types of pain and holistic psychological care to reduce the ache and anguish that may accompany dressing change procedures may help provide comfort and reduce pain and suffering.     

Negative pressure wound therapy combined with acoustic pressure wound therapy for infected post surgery wounds: a case series

Acute infection of surgical incision sites often requires specialized wound care in preparation for surgical closure. Optimal therapy for preparing such wounds for a secondary closure procedure remains uncertain. The authors report wound outcomes after administering acoustic pressure wound therapy in conjunction with negative pressure wound therapy with reticulated open-cell foam dressing changes to assist with bacteria removal from open, infected surgical-incision sites in preparation for secondary surgical closure in three patients. Before incorporating acoustic pressure wound therapy at the authors' facility, the average negative pressure wound therapy with reticulated open-cell foam dressing course prior to secondary surgical closure was 30 days; with its addition, two of three patients underwent successful surgical closure with no postoperative complications after 21 and 14 days, respectively; one patient succumbed to nonwound-related complications before wound closure. Larger, prospective studies are needed to evaluate combining negative pressure wound therapy with reticulated open-cell foam dressing and acoustic pressure wound therapy for infected, acute post surgery wounds.     

Negative pressure wound therapy: Evidence-based treatment for complex diabetic foot wounds

Negative pressure therapy is a novel technology used for the promotion of wound healing and has emerged as the standard care in the management of problem wounds. Negative pressure wound therapy has been met with rapid clinical success and widespread acceptance. The literature is replete with case series, small trials, and noncomparative studies; however, there are few prospective, randomized, human trials examining this technology and its ability to promote healing. We review and evaluate the current literature on negative pressure therapy and its efficacy in the healing of complex diabetic wounds.     

Negative pressure wound therapy in the adjunctive management of necrotizing fascitis: examining clinical outcomes

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of necrotizing fascitis reduces the morbidity and mortality rates of this devastating disease. To examine the clinical outcomes of using negative pressure wound therapy in the adjunctive management of wounds secondary to necrotizing fascitis, a retrospective review of medical records was conducted. Participants included 11 consecutive patients (16 wounds) with a diagnosis of necrotizing fascitis admitted to a teaching hospital between 2000 and 2005 and treated on an inpatient basis with negative pressure wound therapy. The patients included seven men, four women (average age 54 years; range 18 to 82 years). Variables abstracted from the medical records and consultation notes included: demographic information, tissue and blood bacteriological data, wound history, wound healing outcomes, duration of negative pressure wound therapy, length of hospital stay, and mortality and morbidity information. Variables were entered into an electronic database and analyzed. Operative tissue biopsies were obtained and all participants received serial surgical debridements as well as infection, nutrition, and hemodynamic support. Negative pressure wound therapy was applied to the wound(s) at 125 mm Hg continuous negative pressure until reconstructive closure could be performed. Most wounds (10) were on lower extremities, seven patients presented with sepsis, and beta-hemolytic Streptococcus was identified in nine wounds. Mean number of negative pressure wound therapy treatment days was 25 (range: 7 to 74), mean length of stay was 67 days (range: 21 to 186). All wounds were successfully closed--73% received split-thickness skin grafts, 27% required flaps, 100% limb salvage was achieved, and all patients survived. No negative pressure wound therapy or dressing-associated complications were observed. Negative pressure wound therapy was found to be a viable adjunctive treatment in the management of wounds associated with necrotizing fascitis.     

Negative pressure wound therapy for massive subcutaneous emphysema: a systematic review and case series

BackgroundMassive subcutaneous emphysema can cause considerable morbidity with respiratory distress. To resolve this emphysema in short-term, negative pressure wound therapy could be applied as added treatment modality. However, its use is sparsely reported, and a variety of techniques are being described. This study provides a systematic review of the available literature on the effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy as treatment for massive subcutaneous emphysema. In addition, our institutional experience is reported through a case-series.MethodsThe PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for publications on the use of negative pressure wound therapy for subcutaneous emphysema following thoracic surgery, trauma or spontaneous pneumothorax. Moreover, patients treated at our institution between 2019 and 2021 were retrospectively identified and analyzed.ResultsThe systematic review provided 10 articles presenting 23 cases. Studies demonstrated considerable heterogeneity regarding the location of incision, creation of prepectoral pocket, and surgical safety margin. Also closed incision negative pressure wound therapy and PICO^© device were discussed. Despite the apparent heterogeneity, all techniques provided favorable outcomes. No complications, reinterventions or recurrences were documented. Furthermore, retrospective data of 11 patients treated at our clinic demonstrated an immediate response to negative pressure wound therapy and a full remission of the subcutaneous emphysema at the end of negative pressure wound therapy. No recurrence requiring intervention or complications were observed.ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that negative pressure wound therapy, despite the varying techniques employed, is associated with an immediate regression of subcutaneous emphysema and full remission at the end of therapy. Given the relatively low sample size, no technique of choice could be identified. However, in general, negative pressure wound therapy appears to provide fast regression of subcutaneous emphysema and release of symptoms in all cases.     

高压臭氧大自血疗法联合负压辅助愈合治疗系统治疗糖尿病足溃疡的临床疗效

目的 探讨高压臭氧大自血疗法联合负压辅助愈合治疗系统治疗糖尿病足溃疡的临床疗效。方法 自2014年8月至2015年8月对黑龙江省医院血管外科28例糖尿病足溃疡患者采用高压臭氧大自血疗法联合负压辅助愈合治疗系统（VAC）治疗,比较治疗前后经皮氧分压（TcPO2）、总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）、血栓素B2（TXB2）、6?酮?前列腺素F1α（6-k-PGF1α）。结果 与治疗前比较,患者治疗后血脂和TXB2水平明显降低,TcPO2和PGF1α水平升高（P＜0.01）。结论 高压臭氧大自血疗法联合VAC治疗糖尿病足溃疡,疗效显著,值得进一步探讨。     

Negative pressure therapy: theory and practice

Negative pressure (wound) therapy, synonymous with topical negative pressure or vacuum therapy mainly cited as branded VAC? (vacuum-assisted closure) therapy, is a mode of therapy used to encourage wound healing. It is used both as primary treatment of chronic and complex wounds and as an adjunct for temporary closure and wound bed preparation preceding surgical procedures such as skin grafts and flap surgery. The device has come into wide and successful use, although the physiological basis of its effect is not yet fully understood, and with a delay, increasingly evidence-based data become available. A meta-analysis was made of peer-reviewed publications (PubMed-Medline) chosen on the basis of inclusion of the terms randomized clinical trial, vacuum-assisted closure, and topical negative pressure. Scientific data were evaluated from experimental animal studies, randomized clinical trials, observations of clinical applications, and case reports on all known effects of VAC therapy. Systematic analysis of the data shows efficacy concerning induction of wound healing mechanisms, especially in the early stage. Increased perfusion can be considered proven. Data analysis shows positive efficacy for treatment of infection. Although this therapy appears effective and its superiority to conventional techniques has been demonstrated, there are still some critical votes concerning efficacy. Because its mechanisms of action remain unclear, and because there is still some gap between evidence-based data and the excellent clinical results, further prospective, randomized, blinded studies are needed. Even so, we conclude that vacuum therapy, used when indicated and especially by experienced surgeons, is an excellent tool to support wound healing.     

Negative pressure wound therapy in grade 1 and 2 diabetic foot ulcers: A randomized controlled study

Background and aimsFoot ulcers are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among diabetics in India. Early diagnosis and timely management is vital in preventing the progression of the disease which may require amputation. Conventional methods take a long time for healing. This study aims to compare negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and conventional saline dressings in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) healing.MethodsThis prospective randomized study was conducted in 45 patients with grade 1 and 2 DFUs. 22 patients in group A received NPWT and 23 patients in group B received saline dressings. The formation of granulation tissue, reduction in ulcer size, duration of hospital stay and time for complete healing of wounds were assessed.ResultsThe formation of granulation tissue (91.14 vs 52.61%, p < 0.001) and reduction in ulcer size (40.78 vs 21.18%, p = 0.008) at 14 days was significantly more in group A. The duration of hospital stay (15.68 vs 29.00 days, p < 0.001) and time for 100% coverage of the wound with granulation tissue (14.82 ± 7.30 vs 44.57 ± 7.11 days, p < 0.001) was significantly less in group A. Complete healing of wounds at 3 months was observed in 20 patients (90.9%) in group A and 6 patients (26.1%) in group B (p = 0.006).ConclusionIn our study NPWT led to early reduction in ulcer size, more granulation tissue formation, shorter hospital stay and complete wound healing. In lower and middle income countries like India with high prevalence of DFUs, early recovery is a boon to the patients to resume their daily activities.     

Negative pressure wound therapy for skin necrosis prevention after snakebite in the emergency department: A retrospective cohort study

This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare the effectiveness of conventional treatment and ultra-early application of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in patients with snakebites.Patients who visited the emergency department within 24 hours after a snakebite were assigned to the non- NPWT or NPWT group. Swelling resolution time and rates of necrosis, infection, and operations were compared between the 2 groups. The Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale was used to measure short- and long-term wound healing results.Among the included 61 patients, the swelling resolution time was significantly shorter in the NPWT group than in non- NPWT group (P = .010). The NPWT group showed lower necrosis (4.3% versus 36.8%; P = .003) and infection (13.2% and 4.3%; P = .258) rates than the non- NPWT group. The median Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale scores were higher in the NPWT group than in the non- NPWT group (P< .001).These findings suggest that ultra-early application of NPWT reduces edema, promotes wound healing, and prevents necrosis in patients with snakebites.     

Negative pressure wound therapy reduces the incidence of postoperative wound dehiscence and surgical site infections after total knee arthroplasty in patients with obesity

Obesity is a risk factor for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Wound dehiscence and surgical site infections (SSIs) are the main complications of TKA in patients with obesity. They can profoundly affect patients because they often require readmission, additional surgical interventions, lengthy intravenous antibiotic administration, and delayed rehabilitation. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) exposes the wound site to negative pressure, resulting in the improvement of blood supply, removal of excess fluid, and stimulation of cellular proliferation of granulation tissue. This study aims to assess the incidence of wound dehiscence and SSIs in patients with obesity undergoing TKA after the routine use of NPWT. This sduty enrolled adult patients with obesity who underwent TKA within 8 years. A total of 360 adult patients with obesity (NPWT: 150, non-NPWT: 210) underwent TKA, and the baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. Compared with the non-NPWT group, the NPWT group had a 50% lower incidence of wound dehiscence (3.33% vs 9.52%; P < .05) and a significantly lower incidence of SSIs (11.33% vs 25.24%; P < .05), including prosthetic joint infection (4.0% vs 10.0%; P < .05) and superficial wound infection (7.33% vs 15.24%; P < .05). In addition, the NPWT group had a lower need to return to the operating room for new interventions for any reason (2.67% vs 9.05%; P = .0107) than the non-NPWT group. Conventional incision NPWT can significantly reduce the incidence of wound dehiscence and SSIs in patients with obesity after TKA.     

Combination of negative pressure wound therapy and acoustic pressure wound therapy for treatment of infected surgical wounds: a case series

The optimal wound therapy for healing infected wounds post surgery or surgical debridement has not been established. Negative pressure wound therapy and acoustic pressure wound therapy are advanced wound-healing modalities that apply forms of mechanical pressure to wound tissue in an effort to promote healing by stimulating cellular proliferation. Using a combination of negative pressure wound therapy and acoustic pressure wound therapy was evaluated in a series of six patients with large, infected surgical wounds presenting with moderate to large amounts of serosanguineous drainage. After concurrent treatment with both modalities (range: 4 to 12 weeks), wound volume was reduced by 99% to 100% in all wounds except one wound for which depth at end of treatment was not measurable due to hypergranulation. Similarly, wound surface area was reduced by 82% to 100%, with the exception of the hypergranular wound, which decreased in size by 60%. Serosanguineous wound drainage was reduced in four wounds and remained unchanged in two wounds.     

创伤负压治疗技术治疗糖尿病足溃疡的研究进展

糖尿病足是导致我国糖尿病患者致残、致死的严重慢性并发症之一,不仅给患者带来沉重的心理负担,还造成沉重的家庭及社会负担。创伤负压治疗(negative pressure wound therapy,NPWT)技术是近年来用于治疗各类急、慢性创面的疗法,在糖尿病足溃疡的治疗方面取得了良好的效果。NPWT包括负压辅助闭合(vacuum assisted closure,VAC)和负压封闭引流(vacuum sealing drainage,VSD)两种模式。该文概述NPWT发展沿革、促进伤口愈合的作用机制,比较了VAC和VSD两种负压封闭技术的原理和作用差异。     

Delayed wound closure: indications and techniques

Delayed wound closure should be used in wounds that are contaminated or contain devitalized tissue. The wound should be left open for three to four days for observation to determine if infection is present or if the tissues are devitalized. This management technique allows the physician to control infection and provide surgical debridement. Leaving the wound open provides the opportunity to inspect and evaluate the wound to determine if a problem is present. The wound then can be repaired with minimal risk. It is beneficial that the wound healing process is not delayed using this technique of wound closure.