Simplified Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: A Cost-Effective Solution for Wound Management

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has emerged as a highly effective technique for managing chronic non-healing wounds. However, the high cost and limited accessibility of commercial NPWT systems restrict their routine use in resource-constrained settings. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an indigenously developed simplified negative pressure wound dressing (SNPWD) for wound management in a low-resource environment.

This prospective cohort study was conducted on 24 patients with a mean wound size pre-SNPWD being 73.5cm2 in the Department of Orthopaedics at a tertiary care hospital. Final wound area, total duration of SNPWD application, number of dressing changes, and the exudate collection, along with culture report, were documented for outcome comparison with data from existing NPWT literature.

The decrease in mean wound surface area after SNPWD application in our study was 27.2%. The mean duration of SNPWD application, that is, the time taken for development of healthy granulation tissue, ranged from 8 to 27 days, the mean duration being 16.5 days. The mean number of dressings applied per patient was 5.3. The mean amount of exudates collected in the canister decreased by 58% as compared to pre-SNPWD. The post-SNWPD culture report of wounds was sterile in 96% of cases, as compared to only 37.5% sterile culture reports before applying SNPWD.

The SNPWD is a safe, effective, and cost-efficient alternative to commercial NPWT systems. With comparable clinical outcomes and significantly lower cost, SNPWD holds strong potential for widespread use in managing complex wounds, especially in resource-limited settings.