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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Dec;13(6):1176-1179.
doi: 10.1111/iwj.12436. Epub 2015 Apr 30.

Negative pressure wound therapy for seroma prevention and surgical incision treatment in spinal fracture care

Matthias Nordmeyer  1 , Johannes Pauser  1   2 , Roland Biber  1 , Jonathan Jantsch  3 , Siegfried Lehrl  4 , Carsten Kopschina  1 , Christian Rapke  1 , Hermann J Bail  1 , Raimund Forst  5 , Matthias H Brem  1   6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Negative pressure wound therapy for seroma prevention and surgical incision treatment in spinal fracture care

Matthias Nordmeyer et al. Int Wound J. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

To evaluate the clinical use and economic aspects of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) after dorsal stabilisation of spinal fractures. This study is a prospective randomised evaluation of NPWT in patients with large surgical wounds after surgical stabilisation of spinal fractures by internal fixation. Patients were randomised to either standard wound dressing treatment (group A) or NPWT (group B). The wound area was examined by ultrasound to measure seroma volumes in both groups on the 5th and 10th day after surgery. Furthermore, data on economic aspects such as nursing time for wound care and material used for wound dressing were evaluated. A total of 20 patients (10 in each group) were enrolled. Throughout the whole study, mean seroma volume was significantly higher in group A than that in group B (day 5: 1·9 ml versus 0 ml; P = 0·0007; day 10: 1·6 ml versus 0·5 ml; P <0·024). Furthermore, patients of group A required more wound care time (group A: 31 ± 10 minutes; group B 13·8 ± 6 minutes; P = 0·0005) and more number of compresses (total number; group A 35 ± 15; group B 11 ± 3; P = 0·0376). NPWT reduced the development of postoperative seroma, reduced nursing time and reduced material required for wound care.

Keywords: NPWT; Spinal fracture; Wound complication; Wound healing.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of number of dressing changes (P < 0·0001).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of number of days of wound secretion.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of wound care time.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of number of used gloves for dressing changes.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Distribution of number of used compresses for dressing changes.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Application of a PICO system to the wound.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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