Treatment of infected soft tissue blast injury in swine by regulated negative pressure wound therapy.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic potential of regulated negative pressure wound therapy (RNPT) in treating infected blast injuries in swine.

BACKGROUND

Approximately 30% to 80% of blast injuries develop infection, which increases the morbidity and mortality of these casualties. RNPT has been used in US military operations in Iraq; however, no randomized controlled study has been conducted on the use of RNPT to treat infected war injuries.

METHODS

Infected soft tissue blast injuries were treated with gauze dressings or RNPT with different pressures ranging from -5 to -35 kPa. To evaluate the wound healing process, the wound area, wound depth, the number of proliferative cells, and the vascular endothelial cells in the granulation tissue were measured at different time points. Furthermore, to evaluate the infection and inflammation of the blast injury, the bacterial load, bacterial species, and several inflammatory markers were detected.

RESULTS

Compared with gauze dressing treatments, RNPT reduced bacterial load more efficiently, initiated granulation tissue formation earlier, and increased the inflammation faster. Negative pressures ranging from -10 to -25 kPa applied on the RNPT group showed beneficial effects in treating the infected soft tissue blast injury. RNPT did not significantly change both the aerobic and anaerobic bacterial composition compared with those of the gauze dressing group.

CONCLUSIONS

RNPT clearly shows beneficial effects in treating the infected soft tissue blast injury in comparison with the gauze dressing therapy in swine.