Applying negative pressure therapy to deep pressure ulcers covered by soft necrotic tissue.

Negative pressure therapy was applied to 39 deep pressure ulcers covered by soft necrotic tissue. All of the wounds were so deep that there were bones or ligaments just beneath the soft necrotic tissue. They had already received several types of conservative therapy including a necrotomy for periods ranging from 1 to 72 months. The wounds were minimally debrided and put in an adequately wet environment with negative pressure. This environment was established by the application of a suction-dressing. All of these wounds showed clear wound beds within only 1 month. All of the wounds were successfully cured, either with or without a musculocutaneous flap. Negative pressure wound therapy is thus considered to be one of the choices for the management of non healing deep pressure ulcers covered by soft necrotic tissue.