[Pain and basic functional activites in a group of patients with cutaneous wounds under V.A.C therapy in hospital setting]
- PMID: 19161707
[Pain and basic functional activites in a group of patients with cutaneous wounds under V.A.C therapy in hospital setting]
Abstract
Introduction: Topical Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT), in Italy known as V.A.C. (Vacuum Assisted Closure) system, is used for the management of chronic wounds not responding to conventional therapies. To date, no data concerning the impact of this device on pain, functional activities and pain-killers' administration , is available.
Materials and methods: over a 3-year period, 32 patients with cutaneous wounds undergoing V.A.C. therapy were admitted. Data related to 25 patients with an average age of 62.7 years was collected. Pain, patient autonomy and consumption of analgesic drugs were evaluated before and during V.A.C. therapy.
Results: The average pain score without V.A.C. was 4.2 +/- 2.4) during the first day of therapy the average pain score was 6.2 +/- 2.8). Before and after V.A.C. therapy, a similar number of patients (17/25 vs 19/25) used pain-killers, but the dosage had to be noticeably increased; 5 patients out of 25 asked for the interruption of V.A.C. therapy due to pain. The therapeutic response to the pain-killers was poor. Among 25 patients, the number of the basic functions lost before V.A.C. therapy was 20 , but under V.A.C. therapy another 49 functions were lost, bringing the total to 69.
Discussion: Cutaneous wounds often represent a painful experience for the patients. Despite the strong increase in the consumption of pain-killers, there was an increased level of pain and a higher degree of dependence during the V.A.C. therapy. Healthcare professionals tended to underestimate the impact of the device in the genesis of the pain reported by patients.
Conclusions: When selecting the type of treatment, the pain of the patient should be considered as a primary outcome. Increased levels of pain associated with the loss of autonomy during V.A.C. therapy increase nurses' workload and worsen patients' quality of life. However, these factors are not considered in the cost-benefit analyses.
Similar articles
-
Patients' experiences of negative pressure wound therapy for the treatment of wounds: a review.J Wound Care. 2013 Jan;22(1):34-9. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2013.22.1.34. J Wound Care. 2013. PMID: 23299356 Review.
-
Cost-effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy for postsurgical patients in long-term acute care.Adv Skin Wound Care. 2009 Mar;22(3):122-7. doi: 10.1097/01.ASW.0000305452.79434.d9. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2009. PMID: 19247013
-
A novel option in negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for chronic and acute wound care.Burns. 2012 Jun;38(4):573-7. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2011.10.010. Epub 2011 Nov 17. Burns. 2012. PMID: 22100423 Clinical Trial.
-
Vacuum-assisted closure for complicated wounds in head and neck region after reconstruction.J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2013 Aug;66(8):e209-16. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2013.03.006. Epub 2013 Apr 8. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2013. PMID: 23578735
-
Pain associated with negative pressure wound therapy.Br J Nurs. 2013 Mar 28-Apr 10;22(6):S15-6, S18-21. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2013.22.Sup4.S15. Br J Nurs. 2013. PMID: 23587969 Review.
Cited by
-
Patient's pain feedback using negative pressure wound therapy with foam and gauze.Int Wound J. 2011 Oct;8(5):492-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-481X.2011.00821.x. Epub 2011 Aug 9. Int Wound J. 2011. PMID: 21827628 Free PMC article.
-
A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers Using Mechanically Versus Electrically Powered Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle). 2015 Feb 1;4(2):75-82. doi: 10.1089/wound.2014.0575. Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle). 2015. PMID: 25713749 Free PMC article.
-
Cyclic negative pressure wound therapy: an alternative mode to intermittent system.Int Wound J. 2015 Dec;12(6):686-92. doi: 10.1111/iwj.12201. Epub 2013 Dec 26. Int Wound J. 2015. PMID: 24373578 Free PMC article.
-
Negative pressure wound therapy for surgical wounds healing by primary closure.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jun 15;6(6):CD009261. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009261.pub6. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Apr 26;4:CD009261. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009261.pub7. PMID: 32542647 Free PMC article. Updated.
-
Negative pressure wound therapy for surgical wounds healing by primary closure.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Apr 26;4(4):CD009261. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009261.pub7. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022. PMID: 35471497 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Medical