Many wounds undergoing negative pressure wound therapy can be treated at home with a visiting home health care provider. The pump that creates the negative pressure is small and portable. Negative pressure wound therapy is a relatively non-invasive treatment option. While many research studies have shown evidence that negative pressure wound therapy improves wound healing, research is ongoing to determine the strength and length of therapy for specific wound types. Negative pressure wound therapy has increased in popularity over the past twenty years. Patients are often treated with pain medications prior to dressing changes and throughout negative pressure wound therapy. Once pressure is applied, most patients report a plateau in pain levels however, the level of pain greatly depends upon the wound type, location and level of healing. Negative pressure wound therapy can be painful, particularly when dressings are changed. Negative pressure applied can range anywhere from -125 to -75 mmHg depending upon the wound and patient tolerance. Dressings are changed every three to seven days or as needed. In wounds that are not deep enough to accommodate the open-cell foam, sterile open weave gauze or other honeycomb dressing textiles can be applied beneath the clear polyurethane film instead. A chamber on the pump collects drainage and moisture is drawn away from the wound site. A pump is attached to the occlusive dressing and once negative pressure is applied, a vacuum environment is created.The pump can be programmed by a health care professional for strength of suction, amount of time it is to be applied and if it is to be intermittent or continuous. This dressing is clear in color, thin and creates an airtight seal around the wound. Once packed with foam, the wound is covered with an occlusive dressing, typically made of polyurethane. This foam acts as a sort of filter to keep any large particles (such as blood clots or dead, sloughed off tissue) from clogging the vacuum system. The dressing used for negative pressure wound therapy starts with sterile open-cell foam that is cut to size and packed into the wound.
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