Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: Are All Systems Alike?

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: Are All Systems Alike?

Hypotheses: (1)Wound healing during hospital stay will be equal between systems, (2)RNs will perceive the Versatile One (EZCare) system as easier to use, (3)Costs related to dressing changes will be less with Versatile one (EZCare), (4)Hospital length of stay will be equal or shorter with the Versatile One (EzCare) system, (5) Nursing time using Versatile One (EZCare) will be less than or equal to VAC system, (6) Patients will report less pain during dressing changes with Versatile One (EZCare).

This is a prospective, 2 group, randomized, comparative study (sample:50; 25 in each group) that will investigate whether differences can be found in selected outcomes related to wound care, using Versatile One (EZCare)versus KCI VAC negative pressure/vacuum systems. Only wounds which currently meet criteria for such device use,and for which a physician's order has been written for the device, will be included in this study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hospitalized adults requiring negative pressure dressings.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Comatose
• Mentally obtunded
• Documented chronic psychiatric illness or any documented dementia significant enough to notably impair cognitive function
• Presence of Manufacturer's contraindications
• Malignancy in wound
• Untreated osteomyelitis
• Unexplored fistula
• Necrotic tissue
• Exposed blood vessels or organs
• Untreated malnutrition.