Use of Disposable Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in 16 Podiatry Clinic Patients with Chronic Wounds

Introduction: Disposable mechanical negative pressure wound therapy (dNPWT*) can be used to manage lower extremity wounds in the outpatient clinic. This small dNPWT provides negative pressure while allowing the patient to maintain ambulation as the dNPWT device can be worn underneath clothing. We examined the use of dNPWT in 16 patients at a podiatry clinic assessing wound healing and the development of granulation tissue.

Methods: This retrospective case series assessed the use of dNPWT in 16 patients with chronic wounds and advanced wound dressings in the treatment pathway. Patients were treated between October 31, 2019 to December 16, 2021. All patients received dNPWT treatment. dNPWT dressings were changed every 2-3 days. Demographics, baseline wound, and subsequent wound visit data and treatments were recorded. The outcome measures included area, volume, duration of treatment, and healing status.

Results: Evenly split between males and females, the average age of the study patients was 60 years old at baseline and average BMI was 35.5 kg/m2. Multiple comorbidities were present, including poor nutritional status (100%), diabetes (94%), hypertension (88%), and coronary artery disease (50%). Wound mix consisted of 6 Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU), 9 Surgical Ulcers, and 1 Pressure Ulcer (PU). Approximately 50% of patients required amputation prior to wound treatment. Baseline wound characteristics included an average wound age of 15.6 weeks, average area of 5.46 cm2, and average volume of 3.32 cm3. The average time elapsed from baseline to end of dNPWT treatment was 45.5 days. In this timeframe, 81% of wounds improved in granulation tissue amount, 63% improved in area (cm2), and 69% improved in volume (cm3). Within average 22 day dNPWT treatment 81% of wounds improved in granulation tissue amount, 69% improved in area (cm2), and 81% improved in volume (cm3). By the end of follow-up, 56% had wounds healed completely, 31% had wounds almost completely healed, and 13% did not heal.

Discussion: In this retrospective study, 14/16 patients displayed improvement in wound area, volume, and/or granulation tissue amount during dNPWT treatment. Most wounds (87%) were healed at, or shortly after, stopping therapy with dNPWT.