Effectiveness of Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy

Pressure injuries are a major health problem in that they are difficult to treat, reduce the patients' quality of life, and increase length of hospital stay and overall health care costs. Furthermore, several possible wound healing complications, such as infections, can lead to mortality. That said, the prevalence of pressure injuries is an important indicator of quality in hospitals. Pressure injuries do not only impact health, but also cause social isolation and dependency, resulting in further psychological problems.

Our review of the literature revealed that the incidence of pressure ulcers varies between 0.4% and 38% in hospitalized patients, between 2.2 and 23.9% in intensive care units and between 0-17% in home care. NPUAP (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel) reports that the cost of treating pressure ulcers has been gradually increasing. It was estimated that treating pressure injuries costs around $11 billion annually in the United States alone. Treating a pressure ulcer can cost anywhere between $500 to $70,000, the most substantial fraction being nursing services. In the UK, it costs £1,064 to treat a Stage 1 pressure injury, and this number can reach £10,551 for more advanced ulcers. This illustrates the direct link between the stage of pressure injury and the cost of treatment. On average, it costs the UK healthcare system £1.4-2.1 billion annually to treat pressure ulcers.

There are many products and methods available for pressure ulcer treatment, but the most well-known and most commonly preferred method is wet-to-dry dressing. That said, researchers have tried and developed several novel methods for the treatment of pressure injuries including NPWT (Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy), hyperbaric oxygen therapy, ultrasonography, hydrotherapy, magnetic field therapy, ultraviolet rays, electrical stimulation, phototherapy and growth hormone application. Together with these non-invasive treatment methods, surgical intervention can also be a treatment option, especially for non-healing wounds. The European and US National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panels' (EPUAP and NPUAP) guidelines recommend NPWT for deep-tissue pressure injuries, namely Stages 3 and 4, as a supportive tool for early-stage treatment. This method is based on applying negative pressure to promote wound healing. Several studies report that NPWT increases granulation tissue formation and reduces wound area. It is indicated that NPWT provides continuous and effective wound debridement in the wound area and increases blood supply to the wound.

Pressure injuries are among the most significant current health problems that are handled by a medical nurse. As the primary caregiver for the hospitalized patient, the nurse must prioritize preventing wound formation and eliminating any risk factors. If a pressure sore does form, the primary goal is to plan and implement appropriate care and nursing interventions in collaboration with the patient and their family to ensure proper wound healing .

It is the nurse's responsibility to keep up with scientific developments in patient care and try to integrate them into their work. PUSH is a tool that is used for monitoring pressure ulcers; however, it has yet to become a part of routine practice in Turkey. The Three-Dimensional Wound Management (3-DWM) device has been used in medical service since 2015, but with only a limited number of studies that evaluate its effectiveness. Currently, the wet-to-dry dressing method is the most commonly preferred treatment method for wound care in Turkish healthcare. There are indeed numerous studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of wet dressings in wound healing. Wet dressings provide the appropriate medium for the accumulation of patient's own body fluids between wound surface and dressing while preventing dehydration. This study aims to compare the effects of Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) and wet-to-dry dressing on Stages 3 and 4 pressure injuries, and to investigate the consistency of 3-DWM device measurement findings with PUSH Tool scores.