A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial of Vacuum Therapy Device Versus Occlusive Dressing for Wound Care

Simplified vacuum wound therapy systems have been used as an effective alternative to wound care in low-resourced hospitals due to their reduced cost. However, the dissemination of devices has been discouraged due to the application of uncontrolled materials and subatmospheric pressures and the limited availability of studies on the subject. The objective of this work was to evaluate a streamlined vacuum therapy system model as an alternative device for negative pressure therapy. To this end, the proposed device was used for managing acute or chronic wounds in a randomized prospective trial, with the results showing increased granulation tissue development and wound cleansing in the streamlined vacuum therapy system model use and absence of deaths or severe adverse effects. The device required fewer dressings but a more complex application and higher economic cost. In conclusion, the streamlined vacuum therapy system model provided effective, safe, and feasible as long as the application professionals master the procedure and there are few dressing changes (up to three).