Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with Instillation in the Treatment of Critical Wounds

Abstract

In recent decades, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has become the gold standard in the treatment of infected wounds. Negative pressure wound therapy with instillation (NPWTi) is a new development, that combines conventional NPWT with instillation of fluids. The purpose of this study was to review the results of current literature on the clinical use of NPWTi in acute and chronic wounds. A literature search was performed using Pubmed and the Cochrane Library, including articles in English and German. The data suggest that NPWTi is a promising therapeutic option in the treatment of wounds, and applicable in various fields. NPWTi appears to be a useful adjunct in the treatment of critical wounds. However, data from prospective randomised trials to support the validity of the results are sparse.