Negative Pressure Wound Therapy After Severe Open Fractures: A Prospective Randomized Study

Aims It has been generally accepted that open fractures require early skeletal stabilization and soft-tissue reconstruction. Traditionally, a standard gauze dressing was applied to open wounds. There has been a recent shift in this paradigm towards negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes in patients with open tibial fractures receiving standard dressing versus NPWT. Methods This multicentre randomized controlled trial was approved by the ethical review board of a public sector tertiary care institute. Wounds were graded using Gustilo-Anderson (GA) classification, and patients with GA-II to III-C were included in the study. To be eligible, the patient had to present within 72 hours of the injury. The primary outcome of the study was patient-reported Disability Rating Index (DRI) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included quality of life assessment using 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-12), wound infection rates at six weeks and nonunion rates at 12 months. Logistic regression analysis and independent-samples t-test were applied for secondary outcomes. Analyses of primary and secondary outcomes were performed using SPSS v. 22.0.1 and p-values of < 0.05 were considered significant. Results A total of 486 patients were randomized between January 2016 and December 2018. Overall 206 (49.04%) patients underwent NPWT, while 214 (50.95%) patients were allocated to the standard dressing group. There was no statistically significant difference in DRI at 12 months between NPWT and standard dressing groups (mean difference 0.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.08 to 1.1; p = 0.581). Regarding SF-12 scores at 12 months follow-up, there was no significant difference at any point from injury until 12 months (mean difference 1.4; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.9; p = 0.781). The 30-day deep infection rate was slightly higher in the standard gauze dressing group. The non-union odds were also comparable (odds ratio (OR) 0.90, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.45; p = 0.685). Conclusion Our study concludes that NPWT therapy does not confer benefit over standard dressing technique for open fractures. The DRI, SF-12 scores, wound infection, and nonunion rates were analogous in both study groups. We suggest surgeons continue to use cheaper and more readily available standard dressings. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(7):912–917.

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The Effectiveness of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Versus Conventional Dressing in the Treatment of Open Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma ◽

10.1097/bot.0000000000001750 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (5) ◽

pp. 223-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marc C. Grant-Freemantle ◽

Éanna J. Ryan ◽

Sean O. Flynn ◽

Darren P. Moloney ◽

Michael A. Kelly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Negative Pressure ◽

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Open Fractures ◽

Wound Therapy

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A Prospective Randomized Study: The Usefulness and Efficacy of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with Lipidocolloid Polyester Mesh Compared to Traditional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Treatment of Pressure Ulcers

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics12090813 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 813

Author(s):

Wooyeol Baek ◽

Nara Lee ◽

Eun Jin Han ◽

Tai Suk Roh ◽

Won Jai Lee

Keyword(s):

Wound Healing ◽

Pressure Ulcer ◽

Negative Pressure ◽

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy ◽

Randomized Study ◽

Contact Layer ◽

Control Group ◽

Wound Therapy ◽

Group 2 ◽

Group 1

To improve healing of pressure ulcer wounds, it is important to optimize the conditions of the area surrounding the wound. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) promotes wound healing, however, the removal of NPWT can cause pain or focal bleeding, delaying wound healing or causing infection. In this study, we reviewed the efficacy of the lipidocolloid non-adherent dressing (Urgotul®) as a wound contact layer. A total of 38 patients from the same facility who applied NPWT from April 2016 to October 2019 were included and divided into two groups; NPWT with the lipidocolloid non-adherent dressing (group 1, experimental group, 19 patients) and NPWT only (group 2, control group, 19 patients). The condition of the wound was examined prior to NPWT application, at one week, and again at three weeks after application. No significant differences were found between groups for general characteristics, bacterial culture or photo analysis. However, when comparing groups based on the time of examination, there was a significant reduction of the wound size in group 1 (p = 0.001) but not in group 2 (p = 0.082). Therefore, the current study finds that using the lipidocolloid non-adherent dressing as a wound contact layer in NPWT stimulates healing by shrinking the size of the pressure ulcer wound.

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