Wound care
application, and has the potential to reduce costs, as well as improve clinical outcomes. Many NPWT devices are portable and lightweight, making them suitable for home use.
Patients can benefit from faster healing, reduced pain and improved quality of life, sometimes while receiving treatment in their own homes. The continuous evacuation of fluids and contaminants, can greatly reduce bacterial load, making NPWT a vital tool for preventing infection, particularly in deep and complex wounds. With fewer complications, such as infections or delays to the healing process, cost savings accrue. Returning patients to their daily lives sooner also reduced the economic burden that chronic wounds can incur, all while improving patient satisfaction.
NPWT devices can reduce hospital stays and encourage faster recovery in patients, demonstrating their economical value.
NPWT also acts to pull the edges of a wound together, potentially stimulating the growth of new tissue. Its effectiveness has led to more countries making it accessible, with France and Germany the latest European states to introduce reimbursement policies for NPWT, though it has been available in other states, notably Portugal, for a long time. “The increasing adoption of NPWT can be attributed to its proven clinical benefits, such as faster wound healing, reduced complication rates and improved patient outcomes,” notes Professor Alexandre Rodrigues at Portugal’s University of Aveiro. “It is also interesting in terms of cost- effectiveness. While the initial investment in NPWT devices may be higher, the potential for reduced hospital stays, fewer complications, and faster patient recovery can lead to significant cost savings in the long run.”
“Modern NPWT devices are also designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with easy-to- understand controls and clear instructions.” Maria Guedes
Numerous studies have shown that NPWT accelerates healing, reduces the length of hospital stays and improves clinical outcomes, and this evidence-based efficacy has driven its adoption in clinical settings. Rodrigues also points out the growing awareness among healthcare professionals about its benefits, yet there are still obstacles slowing down wider use.
Saving money, saving lives
From the large vacuum pumps used in acute settings, to the portable pumps that can be used in ambulatory care, and the single-use disposable devices that allow patients full mobility, NPWT is versatile in its
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“Modern NPWT devices are also designed to be user- friendly and intuitive, with easy-to-understand controls and clear instructions,” explains Maria Guedes, a specialist in tissue viability at the Duorum Saúde Clinic in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. “These designs help to minimise the risk of errors and ensure consistent application of NPWT. Also, the devices include sensors that monitor pressure and provide feedback in real- time, helping with alerts from incorrect use.” At another site in Portugal – the São João University Hospital in Porto, which is the biggest centre for cardiac surgery in the Iberian Peninsula – Viviana Gonçalves, a specialist nurse practitioner in complex wound care, uses NPWT to dramatically improve outcomes for in acute cases, including surgery on newborns. As she manages wounds after cardiac surgery, the use of NPWT is routine. “The hospital is a centre of excellence for adult heart transplants and the treatment of cardiopathies in children,” she explains. “In 2015, we started to develop programmes and protocols for the prevention of site infection, as we had many patients developing infections, and the economic burden was very high. Since then, we have developed protocols for everyone from neonates and paediatrics to adults. Now, we are seeing very few infections and no deaths, so it is a huge win.”
For Gonçalves, the key benefit of NPWT is in preventing infections. Treating an infection once it has set is far more expensive and involves much larger, costlier equipment, as well as longer hospital stays and courses of antibiotics. “Using NPWT for infection prevention means that after seven days we can often take off all sutures from cardiac surgery as wound is fully closed,” she remarks. “People are going home in as little as five days after cardiac surgery.” With such successful programmes in place, one huge question rears its head – why is NPWT for infection prevention not used in healthcare systems across the world as a matter of course?
Practical Patient Care /
www.practical-patient-care.com
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