The Efficacy of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy versus Conventional Dressing on Diabetic Foot Wound Healing.

Mohammed Weheida, Soheir; Akel Rajjoub, Rahaf; Elsaid Abdelaziz, Aziza; Mohamed Abdelaziz, Thoraya

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2022.221378

The Efficacy of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy versus Conventional Dressing on Diabetic Foot Wound Healing.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Professor of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

² Assistant Professor, Nursing Department, College of Health Sciences, University of Buraimi, Sultanate of Oman.

³ Lecturer at Health Technical Nursing Institute, Alexandria, Egypt

⁴ Assistant Professor of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. ORCID: 0000-0003-2836-1425.

10.21608/ejhc.2022.221378

Abstract

Background: Complicated wound dressings impose tremendous medical, psychosocial and financial burden for millions of diabetics all over the world. The Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) technique for managing diabetic wounds, compared with other wound healing modalities; intended to control infection, promote wound healing and prevent recurrence to ensure successful out comes for those patients; is a global researchers’ concern. Aim: Evaluate the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy versus conventional dressing on diabetic foot wound healing. Design: The present study follows the quazi-experimental research design. Setting: The study was conducted at the Inpatient Diabetic and Vascular Surgical Departments, of Alexandria Main University Hospital. Subjects: A convenience sample of 40 adult patients, who were divided randomly into two sequential groups. Study group: received NPWT dressing; while the control group: received conventional saline/povidine-iodine dressing. Two tools entitled “Diabetic Foot Wound Assessment” and “Pain Assessment” were developed and utilized by the researchers to evaluate wound healing process. Results: Statistically significant difference was declared in relation to appearance of granulation tissue and the incidence of local wound infection; where none of the study group patients had existing local signs of infection post two weeks of dressing follow-up; compared with patients in control group. As well, a statistical significant difference was found concerning wound healing process starting from the second week of dressing; at p ≤0.05; where the majority of study group patients (80.0%) had complete diabetic foot wound healing, compares with less than half of the controls (45.0%). Conclusion: The NPWT dressing has a positive effect on wound healing in comparison to conventional dressing. Where; the majority of study group patients had complete wound healing at fifth week of dressing. Recommendations: Replication of the study on large probability sampling.

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