Negative Pressure Wound Therapy: Experience in 45 Dogs

• Published in: Veterinary surgery Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 380 - 387
• Main Authors: Pitt, Kathryn A, Stanley, Bryden J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Harcourt Health Sciences 01-05-2014; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animals; descriptive studies; Dog Diseases - therapy; Dogs; Dogs - injuries; experimental design; Female; granulation tissue; Male; negative pressure; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy - instrumentation; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy - veterinary; therapeutics; Therapy; vacuum-assisted; Veterinary services; wound dressing; Wound Healing; Wounds and Injuries - therapy; Wounds and Injuries - veterinary; wound healing; wound dressing; vacuum-assisted; negative pressure
• ISSN: 0161-3499; 1532-950X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2014.12155.x

OBJECTIVE: To report experience with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in 45 consecutive dogs admitted with extensive cutaneous wounds and to determine if NPWT is feasible in veterinary hospital practice. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective descriptive study. ANIMALS: Dogs (n = 45). METHODS: Collected data were organized into 6 categories: patient data, wound data, NPWT data, adjunctive treatments, complications, and final outcome. RESULTS: Wounds (53 in 45 dogs) were largely traumatic in origin, and distributed fairly evenly to the trunk, proximal and distal aspects of the limbs. Most wounds (34 dogs, 76%) had no granulation tissue and were treated a mean of 4.2 days after wounding, whereas 11 dogs had granulating wounds that were initially treated a mean of 87 days after wounding. Median NPWT use was 3 days with a mean hospitalization of 7.8 days. Most wounds (33; 62%) were closed surgically after NPWT and were healed by 14 days. The other 18 wounds healed (mean, 21 days) by second intention after hospital discharge. Overall, 96% of the wounds healed; 2 dogs died before definitive closure could be attempted. CONCLUSION: NPWT is applicable to a wide variety of canine wounds, is well tolerated, allows for several days between dressing changes, and can used to optimize the wound bed for surgical closure or second intention healing.