NEGATIVE PRESSURE WOUND THERAPY (NPWT)
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) is also known as topical NPWT, Vacuum sealing technique, sealed surface wound suction, Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) or Vacuum pack technique. This essentially involves the application of sub atmospheric pressure to a healing wound with the help of a porous dressing and a drain attached to a vacuum device and covered with a polyurethane film to make an air tight seal. Since its introduction in the early 1990’s NPWT has become widely used in the management of complex wounds of various etiologies in in- patient as well as out- patient settings with significant success. It has now become gold standard of care for wounds like open abdominal wounds and dehisced sternal wounds following cardiac surgery. It is also now being applied in home care settings. Principles and Mechanism of action of NPWT 21 - Functional Principle The principle of NPWT involves extending the usually narrowly defined suction ef...