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. 2022 Sep;32(5):955-962.
doi: 10.4314/ejhs.v32i5.11.

Comparison of Topical Oxygen with Vacuum Assisted Closure in Wound Healing in a Low Resource Setting

Tariq Akhtar Ansari  1 , Sitanshu Barik  2 , Pradeep Meena  1 , Shobha Arora  1
Affiliations

Comparison of Topical Oxygen with Vacuum Assisted Closure in Wound Healing in a Low Resource Setting

Tariq Akhtar Ansari et al. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this pilot study is to obtain preliminary results comparing topical oxygen therapy (TOT) and vacuum assisted closure (VAC) in terms of its ability to accelerate wound healing.

Methods: This non-randomised prospective study included patients with age 16-50 years, wound size ≥ 16cm2 and present below knee joint within seven days of occurrence. Bates-Jensen wound assessment tool (BWAT) was used for evaluation at 8-day interval along with percent area reduction at final follow up.

Results: Mean number of cycles required in VAC and TOT group were 1.97 (range 1-3) and 2.1 (range 1-3) (each cycle of 5 days) per patient respectively. Percent area reduction was significantly higher in the VAC group (34±9.7%) than TOT (11.3±3.8%) group at final follow up (p<0.05). TOT patients had better improvement in epithelialization compared to VAC at last follow up. More extensive debridement was needed in patients of TOT than VAC. There was no significant difference between final score in both groups.

Conclusions: TOT appears to be comparable to well-established VAC in treatment of fresh traumatic wounds below the knee joint. Further large scale, multicentric and randomised studies comparing both these modalities of treatment should be the way forward.

Keywords: Bates-Jensen wound assessment tool; Topical oxygen; vacuum assisted closure; wound healing.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Components of VAC showing the sponge to be approximated over the wound, adhesive sealant, connecting tube and VAC machine along with its attachment in the patient.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Depiction of a case under VAC with the A) initial injury, B) before secondary surgery and C) after final skin grafting.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Components of TOT showing the oxygen cylinder, sterile cover and connecting tube along (A) with its attachment in the patient (B).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Depiction of a case under TOT with the A) initial injury, B) before secondary surgery and C) after final skin grafting.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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