Single use negative pressure wound therapy (suNPWT) system for wound healing in an outpatient clinic

Objective:  To assess the effectiveness of a single use negative pressure wound therapy (suNPWT) device to heal a variety of open wounds in an outpatient setting.

Methods: A total of seven patients were chosen who had a variety of wounds including pressure ulcers, post-surgical dehisced wounds, post traumatic wounds and burns. All of the wounds displayed delayed or stalled healing.  A multidisciplinary team was involved in choosing the candidates deemed appropriate for the negative pressure dressing. The initial dressing was applied in clinic and changed by homecare. Initially the follow up in clinic included weekly visits, progressing to biweekly. Photographs were taken at the time of the visit in clinic.

Results: Overall, the results were very favorable. We were able to achieve wound closure without complications.

• Case1: The chronic sacral ulcer closed within one month, after being open for over 3 months.
• Case 2: The abdominal ulcer from post hernia repair closed within 2 months.
• Case 3: One candidate had two small areas of wound dehiscence post femoral-

popliteal bypass. One of these areas closed within 1 week, while the second area closed within 3 weeks of initial application.      

Conclusion: All of the patients were pleased with the portability and ease of adapting to this specific dressing. The small size of the suction pump and the ability to conceal it were repeatedly reported by the patients as an advantage. The nurses involved in the application voiced no complaints about the product. This study demonstrates the wide variety of applications for this dressing in successfully treating wounds in an outpatient wound care practice.