title: A Simplified Vacuum Dressing System.
abstract: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) may not necessarily require sophisticated equipment. In settings with limited medical resources, simplified vacuum dressings have been considered an effective alternative to the gold-standard vacuum-assisted closure system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a simplified vacuum dressing system in the treatment of complex wounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study in which difficult-to-manage wounds were treated using a simplified vacuum dressing system. Thirty-nine patients with a total of 51 wounds were treated. The main complications were pain (15.7%), bleeding (9.6%), and extremity edema (5.2%). After NPWT, the wounds were closed by skin grafting or with a skin flap in 71.8% of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of NPWT were considered satisfactory in 87.2% of cases. The use of a simplified vacuum dressing system provided satisfactory results in the treatment of complex wounds in the studied population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The system proved easy to use, had a low complication rate and excellent costeffectiveness, and it may be considered as an effective alternative to the gold-standard vacuum-assisted closure system for patients requiring prolonged hospitalization due to the presence of extensive wounds that cannot be treated at home.
authors.affiliation: Bahia State General Hospital, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cilindro de Souza
authors.affiliation: Bahia State General Hospital, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Henrique Briglia
authors.affiliation: Private Consultant, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Reinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miranda Cavazzani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome