[Observation on the therapeutic effects of negative-pressure wound therapy on the treatment of complicated and refractory wounds].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) on the treatment of complicated and refractory wounds.


METHODS
Sixty-seven patients with complicated or refractory wounds admitted to our hospital from September 2005 to November 2008 were randomly divided into NPWT group (n = 35) and conventional treatment (CT) group (n = 32). Wounds of patients in NPWT group were treated with interrupted suction under a pressure of -16.63 kPa for 24 hs, or continuous suction under a pressure of -10.64 kPa for 24 hs. Wounds of patients in CT group were covered with petrolatum gauze overlaid with isotonic saline gauze and dry gauze. Duration of treatment, times of operation, treatment cost, and the process of healing were compared between two groups.


RESULTS
The duration of treatment, treatment cost and times of operation of patients in NPWT group were obviously less or fewer than those of CT group (P < 0.05). Wounds of patients in NPWT group were mainly healed by themselves (40.0%) or healed after free skin grafting (40.0%). While wounds in patients in CT group healed mainly after tissue flap transplantation (66.7%) or free skin grafting (23.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with CT, NPWT can shorten the length of hospital stay, reduce operation frequency and treatment cost, and it is easier to carry out in the surgery of treating complicated and refractory wounds, which is worth generalization.
HU
Kai-xuan
KX
Department of Plastic Surgery and Burns, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
ZHANG
Hong-wei
HW
ZHOU
Fang
F
YAO
Gang
G
SHI
Jing-ping
JP
CHENG
Zhi
Z
WANG
Li-fu
LF
HOU
Zuo-qiong
ZQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing