Nursing countermeasures for VSD treatment of orthopedic trauma and infected wounds

This study intended to investigate the effect of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) in the treatment of orthopedic trauma and its role in the clinical care.

A total of 104 patients with orthopedic trauma infection admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to January 2020 were divided into control group (n=53, receiving VSD) and study group (n=51, receiving VSD and nursing interventions) by random number table. Surgical outcomes, satisfaction, size of trauma and visual analogue scoring scale (VAS) scores were compared between the two groups.

The study group had shorter time to achieve granulation tissue coverage of wound base, trauma recovery and hospital stay than the control group (P<0.05). The satisfaction rate in the study group was higher compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). Before intervention, the VAS scores of the two groups and size of trauma were not significantly different (P>0.05). After intervention, VAS scores were significantly lower and trauma area was significantly smaller in both groups, and the difference was more pronounced in the study group compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). Quality of life scores were higher in the study group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were lower in the study group compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). Packed cell volume (PCV), plasma viscosity, and low-cut versus high-cut whole blood viscosity were lower in the study group compared with those in the control group (P<0.05).

VSD treatment combined with clinical nursing interventions in patients with orthopedic trauma infection could shorten the time to granulation coverage, wound healing and hospitalization time, and improve indicators of blood rheology. It could also shrink the size of trauma, decrease the level of pain and inflammatory factors, and improve the quality of life, resulting in high satisfaction.