Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Treating Foot Wounds in People with Diabetes Mellitus

Summary

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 11 studies with a total of 972 subjects with diabetes. Two studies focused on postamputation wounds and all other studies included foot ulcers. Ten studies compared negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with dressings, and 1 study compared NPWT delivered at 75 mmHg with NPWT delivered at 125 mmHg.

NPWT compared with dressings for postoperative wounds:There was an increased number of healed wounds in the NPWT group compared with the dressings group, and a 21 days shorter median time to healing. No dignificant difference in amputation risk was observed (table T1).NPWT compared with dressings for foot ulcers: NPWT increased the number of healed wounds, reduced the risk of amputation (table T2), and reduced the time to healing compared with dressings (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.60; 1 study, n=341).Low-pressure 75 mmHg compared with high-pressure 125 mmHg NPWT for foot ulcers: There was no clear difference in the number of wounds closed or covered with surgery (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.47) or in adverse events (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.28 to 8.04) between groups during 4 weeks follow-up time (1 study, n=40).