Adjuvant use of acoustic pressure wound therapy for treatment of chronic wounds: a retrospective analysis.
OBJECTIVE
Small studies have indicated that the addition of acoustic pressure wound therapy (APWT) to conventional wound care may hasten healing of chronic wounds. We evaluated our early clinical experience using APWT as an adjunct to conventional wound care.


METHODS
The study was a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients receiving APWT in addition to conventional wound care in a hospital-based, primarily outpatient setting.


METHODS
Medical records of all patients treated with APWT between August 2006 and October 2007 were reviewed. Analysis included the 41 patients with 52 wounds who received APWT at least 2 times per week during the study period. Statistical comparisons were made for wound dimensions, tissue characteristics, and pain at start versus end of APWT.


RESULTS
Thirty-eight percent of wounds (N = 20) healed completely with a mean 6.8 weeks of APWT. Median wound area and volume decreased significantly (88% [P < .0001] and 100% [P < .0001], respectively) from start to end of APWT. The proportion of wounds with greater than 75% granulation tissue increased from 26% (n = 12) to 80% (n = 41) (P < .0001), and normal periwound skin increased from 25% (n = 13) to 54% (n = 28) (P = .0001). Presence of greater than 50% fibrin slough decreased from 50% (n = 24) to 9% (n = 4) of wounds (P = .006).


CONCLUSIONS
This early experience supplementing conventional wound care with APWT suggests it may promote healing in chronic wounds, where the ordered cellular and molecular processes leading to healing have stalled.
Cole
Pamela S
PS
Park Nicollet Health Services, Methodist Hospital Wound Clinic, St Louis Park, Minnesota, USA. Pamela.Cole@ParkNicollet.com
Quisberg
Jennifer
J
Melin
M Mark
MM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001458:Bandages; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*