A randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of noncontact normothermic wound therapy on chronic full-thickness pressure ulcers.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of noncontact normothermic wound therapy (NNWT) versus standard wound care on chronic full-thickness pressure ulcers.

DESIGN

Prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

SETTING

Veterans administration medical center and 7 long-term-care facilities.

PATIENTS: 40 inpatients with 43 Stage III and IV pressure ulcers.

INTERVENTIONS: A sterile noncontact wound dressing was applied to 21 wounds for 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Each day after the wound was irrigated and the noncontact dressing was changed, a heating element in the dressing was activated for 3 1-hour periods for 12 weeks or until wound closure. Twenty-two control wounds were treated with standard, moisture-retentive dressings 24 hours per day, 7 days per week for 12 weeks or until wound closure.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Measurement of wound surface area.

MAIN

RESULTS

Healing rate for the NNWT group was significantly greater than for the control group (0.52 cm2 per week and 0.23 cm2 per week, respectively; P<.02). A clinically significant increase was seen among the NNWT group in the incidence of closure among wounds that completed the entire 12-week protocol compared with controls (11 of 14 or 79% and 8 of 16 or 50%, respectively; not significant). The mean slope of the individual regression analyses for the NNWT group was significantly different from the mean slope for the control group (-0.07 and -0.033, respectively; P<.05). Large wounds in the NNWT group demonstrated a significantly greater healing rate than large wounds in the control group (P <.05).

CONCLUSION

Wounds treated with NNWT healed significantly faster than wounds in the control group. The healing rate was greatest for larger wounds treated with NNWT.