A meta-analysis of negative pressure wound therapy versus traditional wound care for open wounds

YIN Yao-bin; DENG Jiu-zheng; MA Wei; TIAN Guang-lei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-252X.2014.03.009

Abstract：Objective To apply the technique of meta-analysis to summarize and evaluate the effects of negative pressure wound therapy ( NPWT ) and traditional wound care for open wounds. Methods The data of NPWT versus traditional wound care for open wounds from January 1993 to December 2013 were retrieved. The databases included Cochrane database, Pubmed, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet ( CNKI ), Wanfang Data and China scientiifc journal database, and manual searching of journals in the related ifelds was conducted. The English key words included“negative pressure dressing”,“negative pressure therapy”,“negative pressure wound therapy”,“subatmospheric pressure dressing”, “subatmospheric pressure therapy”, “suction dressing”, “topical negative pressure”,“VAC”,“vacuum assisted closure”,“vacuum therapy”,“vacuum sealing”,“foam suction dressing”,“topical negative pressure” and “suction therapy”. The Chinese key words included “VSD”, “VAC” and “vacuum sealing drainage”. The randomized and controlled trials were performed, in which the effects of NPWT and traditional wound care for open wounds were compared. The Rvaman 5.1 was used for meta-analysis. Results 12 214 literatures were initially reviewed after screening. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 studies were brought into the review, including 845 patients. In 7 studies, the healing time of chronic wounds was taken as the observation indicator, and the results were statistically signiifcant ( P=0.008, P<0.05 ). The healing time in the NPWT group was obviously shorter than that in the traditional wound care group. In 5 studies, the time to prepare acute wounds to be closed was taken as the observation indicator, and the results were statistically signiifcant ( P=0.00001, P<0.05 ). The healing time of acute wounds in the NPWT group was obviously shorter than that in the traditional wound care group. In 6 studies,the change ratio of the wound area was taken as the observation indicator, and the results were statistically signiifcant ( P=0.04, P<0.05 ). The reduction rate of the wound area was faster in the NPWT group than that in the traditional wound care group. Conclusions This study reveals that the NPWT is superior to the traditional wound care in the treatment of open wounds, with the advantages of shortened closure time of acute or chronic wounds and quickened reduction of the wound area.