Abstract
We report the results of our wound care experience using the wound vac as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of sternal, spinal, and lower-extremity wounds. This is a retrospective study in which 42 patients were evaluated between 1999 and 2002 for nonhealing sternal, spinal, and lower-extremity wounds. There were 12 patients with sternal wounds with a variety of pathogens who were treated with antimicrobials along with the wound VAC. The VAC was applied for an average of 12 days, and all 12 patients went onto complete closure by the end of four weeks. There were 14 patients in the lower-extremity wound group, again, with a variety of pathogens. The VAC was placed for an average of 29.3 days to achieve closure along with the wound VAC. There were 16 spinal wound patients with a variety of pathogens. All the patients received antimicrobial therapy, with the average duration of the VAC beings 27.6 days and closure taking about eight weeks. The wound VAC, along with appropriate antimicrobial therapy and surgery, appears to help reduce the number of days to healing, along with a reduction in the number hospital days and possibly costs to the health system.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Blackburn J. H., 2nd, Boemi L., Hall W. W., Jeffords K., Hauck R. M., Banducci D. R., Graham W. P., 3rd Negative-pressure dressings as a bolster for skin grafts. Ann Plast Surg. 1998 May;40(5):453–457. doi: 10.1097/00000637-199805000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- DeFranzo A. J., Marks M. W., Argenta L. C., Genecov D. G. Vacuum-assisted closure for the treatment of degloving injuries. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1999 Dec;104(7):2145–2148. doi: 10.1097/00006534-199912000-00031. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hersh R. E., Jack J. M., Dahman M. I., Morgan R. F., Drake D. B. The vacuum-assisted closure device as a bridge to sternal wound closure. Ann Plast Surg. 2001 Mar;46(3):250–254. doi: 10.1097/00000637-200103000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jones G., Jurkiewicz M. J., Bostwick J., Wood R., Bried J. T., Culbertson J., Howell R., Eaves F., Carlson G., Nahai F. Management of the infected median sternotomy wound with muscle flaps. The Emory 20-year experience. Ann Surg. 1997 Jun;225(6):766–778. doi: 10.1097/00000658-199706000-00014. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Klink B. K., Thurman R. T., Wittpenn G. P., Lauerman W. C., Cain J. E. Muscle flap closure for salvage of complex back wounds. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 1994 Jul 1;19(13):1467–1470. doi: 10.1097/00007632-199407000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lazarus G. S., Cooper D. M., Knighton D. R., Margolis D. J., Pecoraro R. E., Rodeheaver G., Robson M. C. Definitions and guidelines for assessment of wounds and evaluation of healing. Arch Dermatol. 1994 Apr;130(4):489–493. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Morykwas M. J., Argenta L. C., Shelton-Brown E. I., McGuirt W. Vacuum-assisted closure: a new method for wound control and treatment: animal studies and basic foundation. Ann Plast Surg. 1997 Jun;38(6):553–562. doi: 10.1097/00000637-199706000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Müllner T., Mrkonjic L., Kwasny O., Vécsei V. The use of negative pressure to promote the healing of tissue defects: a clinical trial using the vacuum sealing technique. Br J Plast Surg. 1997 Apr;50(3):194–199. doi: 10.1016/s0007-1226(97)91369-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Obdeijn M. C., de Lange M. Y., Lichtendahl D. H., de Boer W. J. Vacuum-assisted closure in the treatment of poststernotomy mediastinitis. Ann Thorac Surg. 1999 Dec;68(6):2358–2360. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(99)01159-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]