NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY SKIN

Pressure can be applied constantly or intermittently. Once the dressing is sealed, the vacuum pump can be set to deliver continuous or intermittent pressures, with levels of pressure depending on the device used, varying between в€’200 and в€’40 mmHg depending on the material used and patient tolerance. The tubing is then attached and connected to the pump. Once the wound is filled, then a transparent film is applied over the top to create a seal around the dressing. Foam dressings or woven gauze are used to fill open cavity wounds.

There are four types of dressings used over the wound surface: foam or gauze, a transparent film and a non-adherent (woven or non-woven) contact layer if necessary. This creates a moist healing environment and reduces edema. This turns an open wound into a controlled, closed wound with an airtight seal while removing excess fluid from the wound bed to enhance circulation and remove wound fluids. Tubing is connected through an opening in the film drape to a canister on the side of a vacuum pump. A drainage tube is then connected to the dressing through an opening of the transparent film. General technique for NPWT is as follows: A dressing or filler material is fitted to the contours of a wound to protect the periwound and the overlying foam or gauze is then sealed with a transparent film. Following increased use of the technique by hospitals in the US, the procedure was approved for reimbursement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2001. In 1995, Kinetic Concepts was the first company to have a NPWT product cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration. Where NPWT devices allow delivery of fluids, such as saline or antibiotics to irrigate the wound, intermittent removal of used fluid supports the cleaning and drainage of the wound bed. The dressings used for the technique include foam dressings and gauze, sealed with an occlusive dressing intended to contain the vacuum at the wound site. Typically, the dressing is changed two to three times per week.

The vacuum may be applied continuously or intermittently, depending on the type of wound being treated and the clinical objectives. The continued vacuum draws out fluid from the wound and increases blood flow to the area. NPWT is performed by applying a vacuum through a special sealed dressing. It may also be considered after a clean surgery in a person who is obese.

NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY SKIN

The use of this technique in wound management started in the 1990s and this technique is often recommended for treatment of a range of wounds including dehisced surgical wounds, closed surgical wounds, open abdominal wounds, open fractures, pressure injuries or pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, venous insufficiency ulcers, some types of skin grafts, burns, sternal wounds. The therapy involves the controlled application of subatmospheric pressure to the local wound environment using a sealed wound dressing connected to a vacuum pump. Negative-pressure wound therapy ( NPWT), also known as a vacuum assisted closure ( VAC), is a therapeutic technique using a suction pump, tubing and a dressing to remove excess exudate and promote healing in acute or chronic wounds and second- and third-degree burns.

Negative pressure wound therapy