Negative pressure wound therapy as an adjunct to compression for healing chronic venous ulcers

Hydration response technology dressings for low to excessively exuding wounds: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this systematic review was to identify and qualify the current available evidence of the wound exudate handling capabilities and the cost-effectiveness of hydration response technology (HRT). HRT combines physically modified cellulose fibres and gelling agents resulting in wound dressings that absorb and retain larger quantities of wound exudate.

METHOD

A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE (via PubMed and PubMed Central) according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search was conducted using an unlimited search period. Studies or reviews that evaluated effect on wound exudate and cost-effectiveness, as well as the impact on wound healing were considered. Records focusing on wound management using HRT devices were included.

RESULTS

The literature search identified four studies and one comparative analysis, ranging from low to moderate quality, that compared HRT dressings to other interventions (carboxymethyl cellulose dressing, other superabsorbent dressings, negative pressure wound therapy).

CONCLUSION

The analysed data supported the beneficial use of dressings with HRT for exuding wounds which was characterised by fewer dressing changes, improved periwound skin conditions and reduced costs.

A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of a single-use negative pressure wound therapy system, compared to traditional negative pressure wound therapy in the treatment of chronic ulcers of the lower extremities

Multicenter, phase‐4, randomized, comparative‐efficacy study in patients with VLUs or DFUs comparing for noninferiority the percentage change in target ulcer dimensions (area, depth, and volume) a single‐use negative pressure wound therapy (s‐NPWT) system versus traditional NPWT (t‐NPWT) over a 12‐week treatment period or up to confirmed healing. Baseline values were taken at the randomization visit. Randomized by wound type and size, 164 patients with non‐infected DFUs and VLUs were included. The ITT population was composed of 161 patients (101 with VLUs, 60 with DFUs) and 115 patients completed follow‐up (64 in the s‐NPWT group and 51 in the t‐NPWT group) (PP population). The average age for all patients was 61.5 years, 36.6% were women, and treatment groups were statistically similar at baseline. Primary endpoint analyses on wound area reduction demonstrated statistically significant reduction in favor of s‐NPWT (p = 0.003) for the PP population and for the ITT population (p < 0.001). Changes in wound depth (p = 0.018) and volume (p = 0.013) were also better with s‐NPWT. Faster wound closure was observed with s‐NPWT (Cox Proportional Hazards ratio (0.493 (0.273, 0.891); p = 0.019) in the ITT population. Wound closure occurred in 45% of patients in the s‐NPWT group vs. 22.2% of patients in the t‐NPWT group (p = 0.002). Median estimate of the time to wound closure was 77 days for s‐NPWT. No estimate could be provided for t‐NPWT due to the low number of patients achieving wound closure. Device‐related AEs were more frequent in the t‐NPWT group (41 AEs from 29 patients) than in the s‐NPWT group (16 AEs from 12 patients). The s‐NPWT system met noninferiority and achieved statistical superiority vs. t‐NPWT in terms of wound progression toward healing over the treatment period. When NPWT is being considered for the management of challenging VLUs and DFUs, s‐NPWT should be considered a first choice over other types of NPWT.

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.

The application of negative pressure wound therapy in the treatment of chronic venous leg ulceration: authors experience

The aim of the study was to use negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in patients with chronic venous leg ulceration. The authors present their experience in treatment of 15 patients whose average ulceration surface area was 62.6 cm². In 10 patients, the ulcers healed within 6 weeks and in the remaining patients within 20 weeks. Based on the results obtained, the authors imply that NPWT is an effective method in the treatment of chronic venous leg.

Venous leg ulcer management: single use negative pressure wound therapy

A number of leg ulcer specialist/tissue viability specialists from across the UK were invited to evaluate PICO (Smith and Nephew, Hull) as a treatment for venous leg ulcers also in conjunction with a variety of compression bandages and garments. Patients across 5 sites had PICO applied in conjunction with compression therapy. This group of treating clinicians were then asked to give feedback on the outcome of the patients on whom they had used the new device. All feedback was recorded at a meeting and this was used to create a guideline for use.

Advanced therapies for chronic wounds: NPWT, engineered skin, growth factors, extracellular matrices

Advanced wound care implies the use of products or procedures that are specialized. Although dermatologists are used to being specialists of the skin, hair, and nails, chronic wound care has evolved such that there are some specific treatment options that are more commonly ordered and performed in wound care clinics. Wound care clinics are staffed by specialists and generalists including dermatologists, but also orthopedic surgeons, vascular surgeons, infectious disease specialists, internists, family practitioners, hyperbaric oxygen-trained physicians from a variety of backgrounds, podiatrists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The care of chronic wounds has almost become its own specialty, with so-called advanced therapies now including the use of growth factors, extracellular matrices, engineered skin, and negative pressure wound therapy. It is critical that the dermatologists understand the treatments such that they can appropriately apply or order them directly, or be involved with the care of their patients receiving these therapies.

Review and update on new horizon in the management of venous ulcers

Chronic venous ulcers (CVUs) contribute to functional deficits and are a source of significant morbidity among the affected population. In addition, they directly impact the quality of life of patients and are a significant economic burden on the health care system. In this review, we critically evaluate the current strategies for treating CVUs that have emerged within the last decade and outlined a suggested algorithm for treating patients with this difficult condition.

Use of negative pressure wound therapy to help facilitate limb preservation

Because of changes in demography, non-communicable diseases cause more deaths worldwide than infectious disease for the first time in history. One of the most prevalent of these maladies is diabetes mellitus, which resulted in 4.6 million deaths in 2011. There will be approximately 552 million people with diabetes worldwide by 2030. For these patients, one of the most common severe complications will be a foot wound. Patients with diabetes have at least a 25% lifetime risk of developing a foot ulcer. Many of these infections go on to amputation. Those patients have a 50% mortality rate in the 5 years following the initial amputation. Indeed, these problems are costly as well. In 2010, spending on diabetes was estimated to account for 11.6% of the total health care expenditure in the world. This review merges scientific evidence with expert experience to show the role of negative pressure wound therapy using reticulated open cell foam (V.A.C.® Therapy, KCI USA, Inc., San Antonio, TX) in limb preservation.

Reconstruction of infected and denuded scrotum and penis by combined application of negative pressure wound therapy and split-thickness skin grafting

Trauma to the genital region and perineum can leave behind lifelong sequelae and pose significant challenges to surgeons in the restoration of functional ability and aesthetic status. Effective methods and techniques are indispensable during the treatment period. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a widely accepted technique that is becoming a commonplace treatment in many clinical settings. The purpose of this case report was to introduce the efficacy of the concurrent usage of NPWT and split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) in the reconstruction of genital injuries. A man suffered a traffic accident that caused necrosis of the scrotum and penis associated with a severe infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacea. After debridement, we adopted NPWT during the postoperative dressing changes and the application of meshed STSG. The outcomes showed that combination of NPWT and split-thickness skin grafts is safe, well-tolerated and efficient in the reconstruction of penoscrotal defects. This could be a versatile tool for reconstruction after perineal and penoscrotal trauma.