Comparative Study of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Using Vacuum-Assisted Closure and Standard Moist Care in Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Background: Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) is a common complication of Diabetes Mellitus that affects about a third of all diabetic patients leading to an amputation every 30 seconds and more than 1 million amputations every year. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has become a widely accepted modality for the treatment of open and infected wounds. Objective of the work: to compare the efficacy of NPWT using VAC system to standard moist wound care in management of DFU. Patients and Methods: A prospective controlled clinical trial conducted on 60 patients with DFU randomly assigned into either of two equal groups with a follow-up of 12 weeks. The proportion of healed ulcers, repeated surgical interventions, antibiotic therapy duration and hospital stay were evaluated. Results: The initial wound size was very similar with 15.3± 3.2 cm2 and 13.4± 3.7 cm2. The duration of wound healing in Group A was shorter that it was achieved in 8.9± 6.5 weeks while Group B reached the same results in 10.4 ± 6.9 weeks but with no significant difference. NPWT decreased the risk of recurrent surgical debridement and minor amputations. Final wound size, hospital stay, and the duration of antibiotic therapy were significantly less among the NPWT group compared to the conventional group. Conclusion: NPWT is more efficient than conventional therapy in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.