AHRQ Study: Insufficient Evidence About Value of Negative-Pressure Therapy for Chronic Wound Care at Home

Existing evidence is insufficient to draw conclusions about the efficacy and safety of negative-pressure wound therapy for the treatment of chronic wounds in the home setting, an AHRQ-funded study has concluded. While the use of such therapy is increasing, the researchers identified multiple gaps in research. The primary one is a need for standardized methods to define wound eligibility, outcome measures and interventions. The article and abstract, “Negative Pressure Therapy Technologies for Chronic Wound Care in the Home Setting,” appeared online April 2 in the journal Wound Repair and Regeneration.

2015 Apr 2. doi: 10.1111/wrr.12295. [Epub ahead of print]

Negative pressure wound therapy technologies for chronic wound care in the home setting: A systematic review.

Rhee SM1, Valle MF, Wilson LM, Lazarus G, Zenilman JM, Robinson KA.

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Abstract

The use of Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is increasing in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. We conducted a systematic review on the efficacy and safety of NPWT for the treatment of chronic wounds in the home setting. We searched MEDLINE®, Embase®, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL®), up to June 2014. Two independent reviewers screened search results. Seven studies met our criteria for inclusion. Six of the studies compared NPWT devices to other wound care methods and one study compared two different NPWT technologies. Data were limited by variability in the types of comparator groups, methodological limitations, and poor reporting of outcomes. We were unable to draw conclusions about the efficacy or safety of NPWT for the treatment of chronic wounds in the home setting due to the insufficient evidence. Consensus is needed on the methods of conducting and reporting wound care research so that future studies are able inform decisions about the use of NPWT in the home environment for chronic wounds. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.