The efficacy of wall-typed suction and polyurethane foam in vacuum assisted wound dressing system.

ABSTRACT

Vacuum assisted wound dressing was introduced as one of the methods for wound management in problematic wounds. This system which was expensive included a controllable vacuum suction unit and polyurethane foam. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of a controllable wall-typed suction that was available in the patient ward to be used with various types of polyurethane foam in the market. One type of the polyurethane foam that had suitable pore size and good porosity was selected and used in 4 patients with sacral pressure ulcers and 1 patient with both sacral and trochanteric pressure ulcers. These patients were not candidates for surgery and their ulcers were not improved by conventional dressing. The vacuum dressing system was applied to the ulcers for 2 months. The sizes of the ulcers were reduced statistically (p=0.042) without complication. In conclusion, the controllable wall-typed suction and polyurethane foam could be used effectively for wound dressing in problematic wound and ulcer.