[Current situation of negative-pressure wound therapy].

Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been used to help wound healing since early 1970s, and it has been used increasingly for treating a wide variety of wounds since the early 1990s and started to popularize in China near the mid 1990s. This technique is different from conventional dressing change, as it controls local humidity, alleviates edema, and improves local circulation all by negative pressure. The method generally involves the application of a dressing on the wound surface, connecting the dressing to a vacuum pump through a tube, and then sealing the wound with adhesive films. Most of the clinicians in China believe that NPWT is helpful in accelerating wound healing, though as yet there is no strong evidence to support it. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct more research to further clarify the mechanism and therapeutic effect of NPWT.