Pain and trauma in negative pressure wound therapy: a review

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is considered an effective wound treatment, but there are a number of issues that need to be addressed for improvements to be made. This review aimed to explore the literature relating to the pain and skin trauma that may be experienced during NPWT. A literature search was carried out using the following databases: Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, PsychINFO, MEDLINE and PsyARTICLES. A total of 30 articles were reviewed. Studies reported varying levels of pain in patients undergoing NPWT, with certain treatment factors affecting the level of pain, such as the NPWT system and the dressing/filler used. Similarly, although there is much less research exploring NPWT-related trauma, findings suggest that dressing and filler type may impact on whether trauma occurs. However, further research needs to consider the different stages of NPWT and how pain and trauma can be minimised during the whole procedure. As both pain and skin trauma impact on the patient's well-being and on wound healing, it is essential that research further explores the factors that may affect the experience of pain and trauma, so as to inform developments in wound care.