The clinical effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), on the basis of a systematic review of reported randomised controlled trials (RCTs).


METHODS
A systematic literature search for relevant RCTs was carried out. The credibility of the outcome of each study was evaluated using a specially constructed instrument.


RESULTS
We identified 17 RCTs, of which five had not been included in previous reviews or health technology assessments. For diabetic foot ulcers (seven RCTs), there was consistent evidence of the benefit of NPWT compared with control treatments. For pressure ulcers (three RCTs), results were conflicting. In trials involving mixed wounds (five RCTs), evidence was encouraging but of inadequate quality. Significant complications were not increased.


CONCLUSIONS
There is now sufficient evidence to show that NPWT is safe, and will accelerate healing, to justify its use in the treatment of diabetes-associated chronic leg wounds. There is also evidence, though of poor quality, to suggest that healing of other wounds may also be accelerated.
Department of Medicine, I McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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X
Xie
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M
McGregor
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Dendukuri
D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000628:therapy; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006801:Humans; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000628:therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D012449:Safety; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*