Use of negative pressure wound therapy for abdominal wounds in neonates and infants.
BACKGROUND
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is an established and effective tool in the management of complicated abdominal wounds. This management approach has been used in infants, but few large series reports exist in the literature.


METHODS
The outcomes of infants with abdominal wounds receiving NPWT over the last 10 years at our institution were evaluated. Overall survival, time between initiation of NPWT, and discharge/death were examined.


RESULTS
We identified 18 infants who had abdominal wounds treated with NPWT. Diagnoses were varied, as was the duration of therapy. The median NPWT duration of treatment was 34.0 ± 92.1 days. Forty-four percent of the infants had a stoma before application of NPWT, and 22% of the infants had enterocutaneous fistulas before use of NPWT. There were only 2 cases in which a new fistula developed during the use of NPWT, and both of these omphalopagus conjoined twins had undergone the Bianchi procedure. No additional NPWT-related complications were identified. Of 18 infants, 6 died in this cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Negative pressure wound therapy is an important therapeutic tool for the management of abdominal wounds in infants.
Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. bradley.linden@childrens.harvard.edu
Alexander P
AP
Stoffan
Robert
R
Ricca
Chueh
C
Lien
Sandy
S
Quigley
Bradley C
BC
Linden
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D058107:Abdominal Wound Closure Techniques; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000601:surgery; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000601:surgery; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015503:Surgical Sponges; D014428:Twins, Conjoined / Q000601:surgery; D014945:Wound Healing