Negative pressure wound therapy outperforms alginate dressings in diabetic foot ulcer treatment

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to conventional alginate dressings in preparing wound beds for split thickness skin graft (STSG) surgery in patients with chronic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), according to a study.

The randomized controlled trial involved 100 patients, evenly divided into 2 groups: the NPWT group, utilizing vacuum-assisted closure, and the control group treated with alginate dressings. The primary outcome measured was the time taken for STSG surgery once healthy granulation tissues filled the DFU wounds.

The study showed that NPWT led to quicker readiness for surgery, increased survival rates of skin grafts, improved wound blood perfusion, and reduced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the wounds.

Furthermore, the study observed a shift in the macrophage phenotype within the DFU wounds of NPWT-treated patients, indicating a favorable polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype.

Reference
Wu Y, Shen G, Hao C. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is superior to conventional moist dressings in wound bed preparation for diabetic foot ulcers: A randomized controlled trial. Saudi Med J. 2023;44(10):1020-1029. doi: 10.15537/smj.2023.44.20230386. PMID: 37777272.