Vacuum-assisted Closure for Wound Management

Vacuum-assisted wound closure involves the application of controlled or intermittent negative pressure to a dressing occupying a wound cavity. This technique has been used increasingly over the past decade for acute and chronic wounds, and animal studies have demonstrated improved wound healing. Despite its increasing use, vacuum-assisted closure has not been compared to treatment with “modern” wound dressings (alginates and hydrocolloids). The authors, from The Netherlands, performed a randomized controlled study to compare vacuum-assisted wound closure with wound treatment with modern dressings (including alginate, hydrocolloids, acetic acid, or sodium hypochlorite [Dakin’s] solutions) with regard to: 1) the rate of healing, granulation tissue formation, and bacterial clearance; 2) nursing staff time; and 3) expense and pain related to dressing changes.

Sixty-five adult patients presenting with acute or chronic wounds to a single hospital …