Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of randomized participants by treatment group
| NPWT (n = 19) | Usual care (n = 21) | Total (n = 40) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years)* | 58·8(15·1) | 56·9(13·9) | 57·8(14·4) |
| Sex ratio (M : F) | 11 : 8 | 11 : 10 | 22 : 18 |
| BMI (kg/m2)* | 29·2(5·6) | 29·0(6·0) | 29·1(5·7) |
| Diabetes | 12 | 12 | 24 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Tobacco use | |||
| None | 13 | 10 | 23 |
| Ex‐smoker | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Current (≤ 1 pack/day) | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Current (> 1 pack/day) | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Previous history of SWHSI | |||
| Yes | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| No | 11 | 15 | 26 |
| Unknown | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Wound area (cm2)† | 18·2 (0·2–122·5) | 20·4 (2·3–93·2) | 19·3 (0·2–122·5) |
| < 28 | 10 | 11 | 21 |
| ≥ 28 | 9 | 10 | 19 |
| Wound duration (days)† | 7 (0–27) | 12 (1–142) | 7 (0–142) |
| Wound infected | |||
| Yes | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| No | 14 | 13 | 27 |
| Wound location | |||
| Foot | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| Abdomen | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Leg | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Breast | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Groin | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Buttocks | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Perianal area | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Type of surgery‡ | |||
| Elective | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| Emergency | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Contamination level of surgery | |||
| Clean | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| Clean‐contaminated | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| Contaminated | 4 | 7 | 11 |
Values are
*
mean(s.d.) and
†
median (range).
‡
Type of surgery not known for one patient in the negative‐pressure wound therapy (NPWT) group.