Inpatient and Outpatient Wound Treatment Recommendations: Assessing Use of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems or Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose (ORC)/ Collagen/Silver-ORC Dressings.

The increase in wound prevalence means more patients with wounds are being transferred through care settings than ever before. Although the goals of therapy may be the same in both settings, wound care therapies and dressings differ in availability and appropriateness for each setting. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) modalities and oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC)/collagen (C)/silver-ORC dressings are available in both inpatient and outpatient care settings, but (to-date) lack comprehensive information regarding best practices in transitioning use of these therapies between various care settings. A panel meeting was convened to provide literature- and experience-based recommendations in transitioning wound care patients between various care settings. The use of NPWT with instillation and dwell time was recommended in wounds contaminated with debris and/or infectious materials or heavy exudate. In addition, ORC/C/silver-ORC dressing application was recommended for surface bleeding and for placement into explored areas of undermining to help promote development of granulation tissue. When transitioning a patient from inpatient to outpatient care, overall health, access to services, severity and complexity of the wound, and equipment availability should be taken into consideration. Treatment modalities to bridge the gap during care transition should be used to help maintain continuous care. For outpatient care, NPWT use was recommended for removal of infectious materials and exudate management. The ORC/C/silver-ORC dressings also may be used to help manage exudate and promote granulation tissue development and moist wound healing. In addition, practice challenges and potential solutions for patient adherence, interrupted care during patient transition, and troubleshooting after hours and weekend device alarms were discussed.