161 Systemic Effect of Vacuum Assisted Closure®(V.A.C.®) Therapy in Porcine Full Thickness Acute Wounds

Abstract

Vacuum Assisted Closure®(or V.A.C.®)* Therapy is the negative pressure wound therapy provided by the V.A.C.® System, available from KCI USA, Inc. This study was conducted in young Yorkshire swine to evaluate the effect of V.A.C.® locally and systemically on wound healing and cytokine levels in wound fluid and tissue and in serum. Two full thickness, excisional wounds were created on the dorsum of swine. In Group 1 (n = 6), one wound received V.A.C.® Therapy using a polyurethane foam V.A.C.® dressing and 125 mm Hg continuous negative pressure, and the second wound received DuoDERM®** without negative pressure. Group 2 animals (n = 4) served as controls and received only DuoDERM® on both wounds. Blood, wound fluid, and biopsy samples were taken at predetermined intervals and the levels of 10 cytokines and growth factors, the acute-phase inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP), and immunoglobulins M & G were tested by ELISA. Preliminary data from the first phase of the study (n = 2 swine/group) indicated a trend toward lower serum CRP values and higher serum IgM and IgG levels in swine treated with V.A.C.® Therapy compared to controls. The remaining swine are being evaluated to determine whether V.A.C.® Therapy moderates the local inflammatory wound healing response. In addition, testing of splenic lymphocyte and peripheral blood lymphocyte, neutrophil, and monocyte functions are being performed to study possible systemic effects on the immune system.