From the April Edition of ASWC: Cutting Edge
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a widely accepted modality in the treatment of complex wounds. However, there are fundamental requirements not incorporated in all current NPWT systems that must be met in order to realize its full clinical benefits, which include
- accurately delivering a set level of negative pressure to the wound bed,
- creating a pressure gradient between the wound bed and the waste canister to efficiently remove fluid and prevent stagnation in the tubing, and
- maintaining a sealed wound environment.
The objective of this investigation was to use a simulated wound model to compare the ability of two NPWT systems (System A, Invia® Liberty™ [Medela AG] and System B, V.A.C.ULTA™ [3M+KCI]) to deliver set levels of NPWT and simultaneously manage volumes of wound exudate.