Vacuum drainage in the management of complicated abdominal wound dehiscence in children

Terapia de presión negativa en pediatría

Introducción. La terapia de presión negativa es un recurso utilizado cada vez con mayor frecuencia en el manejo de heridas complejas en pediatría. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir la experiencia con esta terapia en diferentes situaciones clínicas. Métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo en un grupo de pacientes pediátricos en quienes se utilizó la terapia de presión negativa entre el año 2010 y el 2015. Se analizaron las variables sociodemográficas, los diagnósticos que indicaron la terapia, el tiempo de uso, sus complicaciones y la mortalidad. Resultados. Se incluyeron 41 pacientes. La terapia se indicó en 39 casos con heridas localizadas en el abdomen, en uno con infección de los tejidos blandos perianales y en otro con una herida de esternotomía infectada. De las heridas abdominales, 14 fueron por complicaciones relacionadas con apendicitis aguda, 6 por enfermedades relacionadas con megacolon, 5 por obstrucción intestinal, 4 para el manejo de fístulas, 4 por enterocolitis necrosante del recién nacido, 3 por pancreatitis aguda y 3 por otras causas. El tiempo promedio de uso de la terapia fue de 7 días. Se presentaron fallas en el sistema de vacío en dos pacientes, pero no hubo complicaciones por el uso de la terapia. Dos pacientes fallecieron por complicaciones relacionadas con su enfermedad de base. Conclusión. La terapia de presión negativa es un recurso efectivo en el manejo de heridas complejas en la población pediátrica.

Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy in Infants and Children: A Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Although the safety and benefits of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) have been clearly demonstrated in the adult population, studies evaluating the safety and describing the use of NPWT in the pediatric population have been limited. Given this paucity, the goals of this study were to (1) evaluate the literature dedicated to NPWT use in infants and children and (2) leverage a population-level analysis to describe the experience of NPWT use in the pediatric population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a literature review and analyzed the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Commercial Claims Databases from 2006 to 2014 to identify infants and children treated with NPWT. We evaluated patient characteristics, indications, complications before and after NPWT placement, and health care utilization within 30 d of NPWT placement.

RESULTS

We identified 457 articles, 11 of which fit our inclusion criteria. Most studies (65.2%) were case reports or series with less than 10 patients. In addition, we identified 3184 patients aged younger than of 18 y who were treated with NPWT between 2006 and 2014. Serious incident complications within 30 d after NPWT placement were rare (bleeding 0.6%, septicemia 0.5%, and sepsis 0.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the lack of robust studies, NPWT is widely used for many indications and across different ages and providers. Given the low incidence of serious complications, we conclude that NPWT use in infants and children is safe and can be effectively used by different providers spanning surgical and nonsurgical disciplines.

Negative pressure wound therapy in pediatric surgery: How and when to use

INTRODUCTION

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been widely adopted to treat laparostomy, abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and complicated wounds associated with tissue loss. The method presents specific aspects, advantages and indications in Pediatrics. Our aim is to review the evidence available about NPWT in children.

METHODS

Active search for papers about NPWT in Pediatric patients. Papers referring to orthopedic problems, wound complications after Cardiac Surgery or burns were excluded.

RESULTS

The method shows good results to treat ACS, complicated wounds and abdominal wall malformations in neonates, including prematures. Periwound skin protection, monitoring of fluid losses and fine tuning of negative pressure levels according to age are necessary. Less pain, quicker recovery, less frequent dressing changes, possible recovery of exposed surgical hardware, granulation and shrinkage of the wound are advantages of the method over other kinds of dressing. NPWT is contraindicated over blood vessels and exposed nerves. Debridement is needed before usage over necrotic areas. Enteric fistulae are not contraindications. Complications are rare, mainly foam retention and dermatitis/skin maceration. The possibility of fistulae being caused by NPWT remains debatable.

CONCLUSION

NPWT is widely used in Pediatrics, including neonates and premature, but the evidence available about the method is scarce and low quality. Complications are uncommon and mostly manageable. A possible causal relationship between NPWY and enteric fistula remains unclear. Adult devices and parameters have been adapted to children's use. Extra care is needed to protect the delicate tissues of Pediatric patients. Comparative research to define differential costs, indications and advantages of the method, specific indications and limits of NWTP in Pediatrics is needed.

TYPE OF STUDY

Review.

EVIDENCE LEVEL

IV.

Overview of Wound Healing and Management

Wound healing is a highly complex chain of events, and although it may never be possible to eliminate the risk of experiencing a wound, clinicians' armamentarium continues to expand with methods to manage it. The phases of wound healing are the inflammatory phase, the proliferative phase, and the maturation phase. The pathway of healing is determined by characteristics of the wound on initial presentation, and it is vital to select the appropriate method to treat the wound based on its ability to avoid hypoxia, infection, excessive edema, and foreign bodies.

[Vacuum-therapy for complicated anterior abdominal wall wounds and intestinal fistulas in children]

AIM

To present results of VAC application in children with complicated wounds of anterior abdominal wall combined with intestinal and/or biliary fistulas.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

For the last 7 years 8 patients aged from 1.5 months to 15 years with infected postoperative wounds of anterior abdominal wall complicated by intestinal fistulas (6), biliary and intestinal fistulas (1) and biliary fistula (1) have been treated at the surgical department №2 of Russian Children's Clinical Hospital. All patients received complex medical therapy and local VAC-therapy.

RESULTS

Granulation and wound's size reduction were observed within first 7 days of VAC-therapy application in 5 (62.5%) children. In 4 (50%) patients at least 1 intestinal fistula has been closed in 15 days after VAC-therapy initiation on the average (range 7--24). Closure of all fistulas and wounds healing were observed in all patients in 28 days (range 16--42) after VAC-therapy initiation on the average.

CONCLUSION

VAC-therapy is safe and effective treatment of complicated wounds of anterior abdominal wall combined with intestinal and/or biliary fistulas in children.

Use of negative pressure wound therapy for abdominal wounds in neonates and infants

BACKGROUND

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is an established and effective tool in the management of complicated abdominal wounds. This management approach has been used in infants, but few large series reports exist in the literature.

METHODS

The outcomes of infants with abdominal wounds receiving NPWT over the last 10 years at our institution were evaluated. Overall survival, time between initiation of NPWT, and discharge/death were examined.

RESULTS

We identified 18 infants who had abdominal wounds treated with NPWT. Diagnoses were varied, as was the duration of therapy. The median NPWT duration of treatment was 34.0 ± 92.1 days. Forty-four percent of the infants had a stoma before application of NPWT, and 22% of the infants had enterocutaneous fistulas before use of NPWT. There were only 2 cases in which a new fistula developed during the use of NPWT, and both of these omphalopagus conjoined twins had undergone the Bianchi procedure. No additional NPWT-related complications were identified. Of 18 infants, 6 died in this cohort.

CONCLUSION

Negative pressure wound therapy is an important therapeutic tool for the management of abdominal wounds in infants.

Laparostomy closure in stage 4S neuroblastoma

Laparostomy in children is a rare procedure, and there is little in the literature as to the best method for closure in children with an open abdomen. We describe 2 cases with stage 4S neuroblastoma that required emergency decompressive laparostomy. Both cases highlight advantages and disadvantages with known techniques for achieving skin and fascia closure. We believe this to be the first report of a combination of extracellular matrix mesh and vacuum therapy for successful fascial and skin closure in stage 4S neuroblastoma.