Negative pressure therapy with instillation for the treatment of infected wounds: recommendations of utilization based on evidence.

OBJECTIVE

To establish recommendations related to negative pressure therapy  with instillation according to effectiveness, safety, efficiency, consensus guidelines and stability data of instillation solutions.

METHOD

A literature search was conducted to compare the available evidence  regarding effectiveness, safety and efficiency of negative pressure therapy with  instillation, as well as the existence of consensus guidelines for use. The articles  were classified according to the "Scale of evidence classification for therapeutic  studies" of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 13 studies were included, of which five were comparative cohort studies (level II and III of evidence), and the rest  corresponded to case series (level IV of evidence). Two consensus guidelines  were selected with recommendations regarding the type of wound, instillation solution, solution retention time, vacuum pressure and appropriate  vacuum time. According to literature and available evidence, recommendations were proposed and established on negative pressure therapy  with instillation in our hospital, including stability data of the proposed solutions.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper provides preliminary guidelines on the application of  negative pressure therapy with instillation until new evidence supports or  modifies these recommendations.