Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

Introduction Management o f difficult acute and chronic wounds poses a significant challenge

to the patient and the caregiver. The application o f negative pressure wound therapy (NPW T) has proven to ease some of this burden by promoting a favorable wound-healing environment, decreasing the need for frequent dressing changes, improving patient comfort, and reducing associated costs. In NPWT, a pliable foam dressing is cut to shape, placed into a wound, and covered with an occlusive dress­ ing. Controlled sub-atmospheric pressure is then applied to the wound by evacuat­ ing air and liquids from the foam dressing. The most commonly used device for applying NPWT is the wound VAC®.