Early Use of Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Pediatric Abdominal and Thoracic Surgery: A Single-Center
Biagio Nicolosi1, Felice Curcio2, Marina Maffeo3
1Healthcare Professions Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy.
Insights
Early Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (iNPWT) significantly improves surgical wound healing in pediatric patients, reducing complications and healthcare costs. Further research is recommended to confirm these findings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Wound Healing
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Surgical wound complications like dehiscence and infection are common in pediatric patients.
- Evidence for Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (iNPWT) efficacy in pediatric populations is limited.
- High-risk pediatric surgical cases require effective wound management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of early Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (iNPWT) in pediatric abdominal and thoracic surgery.
- To assess the economic impact of early iNPWT on surgical wound healing in children.
- To compare outcomes between early iNPWT and standard dressings in pediatric surgical patients.
Main Methods:
- Single-center, retrospective observational study.
- Analysis of 49 pediatric patients undergoing abdominal or thoracic surgery.
- Comparison of early iNPWT versus standard dressings for wound healing outcomes, complications, pain, and costs.
Main Results:
- Early iNPWT demonstrated significantly faster wound healing and reduced complication rates, including dehiscence and infections.
- No significant difference in pain perception was observed between early iNPWT and standard dressing groups.
- Despite higher initial costs, early iNPWT resulted in lower overall healthcare costs due to fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.
Conclusions:
- Early iNPWT is a clinically effective and cost-efficient intervention for pediatric surgical patients at high risk for wound complications.
- The study highlights the potential of iNPWT to improve surgical outcomes in pediatric populations.
- Further prospective, multicenter studies are necessary to validate these findings and establish standardized pediatric protocols.
Abstract:
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and economic impact of early Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (iNPWT) in promoting surgical wound healing in pediatric patients undergoing abdominal and thoracic surgery. Background: Surgical wound complications, such as dehiscence and infection, are frequent in pediatric patients, especially in high-risk cases. Although iNPWT is increasingly used in surgical care, evidence supporting its efficacy in pediatric populations remains limited. Methods: This single-center, retrospective observational study analyzed 49 pediatric patients who underwent abdominal or thoracic surgery between January and December 2023. Patients received either intraoperative iNPWT (early application) or standard dressings. The outcomes assessed included time to complete wound healing, incidence of complications, pain levels, and healthcare costs. Results: Patients treated with early iNPWT showed significantly faster wound healing and fewer complications-particularly dehiscence and infections-compared to those receiving standard dressing. Pain perception did not significantly differ between groups. Although the initial costs of iNPWT were higher, overall costs were lower due to fewer complications and shorter hospital stays. Conclusions: Early iNPWT is a clinically effective and cost-efficient intervention for pediatric surgical patients at high risk of wound complications. However, limitations related to the retrospective design and small sample size suggest that prospective multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings and support the development of standardized pediatric protocols.
