




Healthcare Industry News: negative pressure wound therapy
News Release - April 28, 2009
Prospera Reports Recent Advances in Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) Research Presented at the SAWC in Dallas
FORT WORTH, Texas--(HSMN NewsFeed)--In a general session address to attendees at the 22nd Annual Symposium on Advanced Wound Care and Wound Healing Society, Dallas, Texas, Prospera(R) Technologies, LLC announced that Christian Torbrand, MD, of Lund University, Sweden, presented, “Biological Effects of negative pressure wound therapy,” which covered significant advances in NPWT research.According to principal investigator Associate Professor Malin Malmsjo, MD, PhD, “The study represents several ‘firsts’ in NPWT research. Never before have the effects of lower negative pressure on regional blood flow, wound contraction, and fluid removal been examined in detail.”
NPWT has traditionally been administered continuously at high pressures of -125 mmHg, associated with pain and potential ischemia. This new research, using a preclinical wound model, suggests beneficial effects of lower negative pressure levels. Furthermore, biological effects in response to intermittent and variable pressure were delineated in detail. The results suggest cycling the negative pressure may be especially beneficial when treating poorly vascularized tissue. In cases where intermittent therapy causes patient discomfort, variable therapy may be superior.
The research team had also studied effects of NPWT, using foam and gauze, on the wound bed. In clinical practice, foam tends to stick to the wound and, upon removal, the patient may experience pain and the tissue in the wound bed may be disrupted and pieces of the foam may get stuck in the wound. The present research is the first to perform a direct comparative study of foam and gauze under negative pressure, examining these parameters. The results confirm more force is required to remove foam than gauze after NPWT and foam results in greater in-growth than gauze. These results, for the first time, describe the scientific bases for these clinical problems.
“These interesting and timely results offer new insights to the benefits of lower pressures and in understanding the different effects on the wound bed of foam and gauze under negative pressure,” said Cindy Ahearn, MS, RN, ET, CWCN, FNP-C, Clinical Director for Prospera(R), supplier of the pump used in the trial. “If we can achieve 100 percent of key biological effects at lower pressures of -75 mmHg, then we can optimize therapy, while reducing pain and increasing patient comfort.”
Ahearn added, “With respect to foam and gauze, this study is highly significant, being the first to directly compare foam and moist gauze under negative pressure. While both are known to increase granulation tissue formation, clinicians generally describe that foam results in thick granulation tissue, whereas tissue is thinner and denser after NPWT using gauze. Since mechanical effects on the wound bed are similar for foam and gauze, it may be that chemical or geometric properties account for the differences. Foam is hydrophobic, does not retain moisture, and has open pores that allow in-growth of granulation tissue. In contrast, gauze is hydrophilic, retains moisture, under negative pressure is not subject to in-growth, and results in less pain and tissue disruption. It’s also very important for clinicians to be aware that past RCTs have inappropriately compared foam to traditional wet-to-dry gauze dressings, which have no relevance in NPWT considering the known benefits of moist wound healing.”
Based on the latest research, Prospera recommends NPWT at lower negative pressures than the -125 mmHg that has traditionally been applied. In addition to continuous pressure therapy (CPT) mode, the pumps deliver variable pressure therapy (VPT(R)) which offers gentle, wave-like rhythmic perfusion to the wound bed. The VPT(R) protocol delivers the advantages of intermittent therapy, while avoiding the painful spikes associated with pressure surges and pressure drops to 0 mmHg. Prospera systems use moist AMD(TM) gauze (Covidien, Mansfield, MA) under negative pressure, which is not subject to in-growth and offers outstanding microbial control.
Disclaimer: The success of negative pressure wound therapy depends on the patient’s overall health, age and underlying condition, among other factors. There are potential risks. Only your doctor can determine if NPWT is indicated for a patient.
Source: Prospera Technologies
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