The Host and Wound: Multidisciplinary Expert Panel Guidelines for Best Practices with Use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with Instillation

The use of negative pressure wound therapy with instillation (NPWTi-d) has gained wider adoption, due in part to the increasing complexity of wounds and patient conditions. Best practices for the use of NPWTi-d have shifted in recent years based on a growing body of evidence and expanded worldwide experience with the technology. To better guide the use of NPWTi-d with all dressing configurations, there is a need to publish updated international consensus guidelines, which were last produced over six years ago.

An international, multidisciplinary expert panel of clinicians was convened on February 22–23, 2019, to assist in developing current recommendations for best practices with use of NPWTi-d. Principal aims of the meeting were to update recommendations based on panel members’ experiences and published results regarding topics such as appropriate application settings, topical wound solution selection, and wound and patient characteristics for use of NPWTi-d with various dressing types.

The final consensus recommendations were derived based on greater than 80% agreement among the panelists. The guidelines suggested in this publication represent further refinement of the recommended parameters originally established for use of NPWTi-d.