Use of topical negative pressure therapy in postoperative dehisced or infected wounds

Reduction of groin wound complications in vascular surgery patients using closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT): a prospective, randomised, single-institution study

Groin wound infections in patients undergoing vascular procedures often cause a lengthy process of wound healing. Several clinical studies and case reports show a reduction of surgical site infections (SSIs) in various wound types after using closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT). The aim of this prospective, randomised, single-institution study was to investigate the effectiveness of ciNPT (PREVENA™ Therapy) compared to conventional therapy on groin incisions after vascular surgery. From 1 February to 30 October 2015, 100 patients with 129 groin incisions were analysed. Patients were randomised and treated with either ciNPT (n = 58 groins) or the control dressing (n = 71 groins). ciNPT was applied intraoperatively and removed on days 5-7 postoperatively. The control group received a conventional adhesive plaster. Wound evaluation based on the Szilagyi classification took place postoperatively on days 5-7 and 30. Compared to the control group, the ciNPT group showed a significant reduction in wound complications (P < 0·0005) after both wound evaluation periods and in revision surgeries (P = 0·022) until 30 days postoperatively. Subgroup analysis revealed that ciNPT had a significant effect on almost all examined risk factors for wound healing. ciNPT significantly reduced the incidence of incision complications and revision procedures after vascular surgery.

A portable, disposable system for negative-pressure wound therapy

Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) imparts a number of clinical effects that promote a healing response and, as such, is a well-established means of treating a variety of wound types. Historically, the technique has been primarily used in the hospital setting; however, the introduction of more portable devices has led to an increase in the use of NPWT in the homecare setting, thereby facilitating early discharge of patients from hospital and continuity of care in the community. Portable NPWT devices also have the potential to impact positively on patients' quality of life, allowing increased mobility and freedom to undertake normal activities of daily living. Following the development of its standard Avance® NPWT system and associated dressing kits, Mölnlycke Health Care (Gothenburg, Sweden) has introduced a single-patient-use, disposable NPWT system; Avance Solo. This has been developed with a view to maximising patient freedom and mobility, providing a single-patient-use NPWT solution for multi-week treatment to allow quick and easy discharge of patients from hospital to home, and reducing some of the challenges of logistics and administration associated with the provision of NPWT for the caregiver. As with the standard NPWT system, the single-patient use system is supplied with a number of products incorporating Safetac® adhesive technology to minimise the risk of patients suffering unnecessary pain and trauma associated with dressing changes. This article presents a series of case studies describing procedures and outcomes following the application of the Avance Solo single-patient-use system.