A systematic review of the effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy in the management of diabetes foot ulcers

Foot ulcers are a common complication in patients with diabetes. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a wound care therapy that is being increasingly used in the management of foot ulcers. This article presents a systematic review examining the effectiveness of this therapy. The review question is how effective is NPWT in achieving wound healing in diabetes foot ulcers? The primary outcome for this study was the number of patients achieving complete wound healing (secondary outcomes, other markers of wound healing, adverse events and patient satisfaction). A systematic literature review and tabulative synthesis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The review identified four RCTs of weak to moderate quality. Only one study examining NPWT in postamputation wound healing reported data on the primary outcome. These data show a 20% improvement in wound healing [odds ratios = 2.0%, confidence interval (CI) -1.0 to 4.0] and number needed to treat 6 (CI 4-64). No serious treatment-related complications were reported by any of the studies. One study suggested a reduction in the risk of secondary amputation (absolute risk reduction = 7.9%, CI 0.5-15.43). Studies also reported an increase in granulation and wound-healing rates in patients treated with NPWT therapy. No data on patient satisfaction or experience were reported. While all the studies included in the review indicated that the NPWT therapy is more effective than conventional dressings, the quality of the studies were weak and the nature of the inquiries in terms of outcome and patient selection divergent. There is a strong need for larger trials to assess NPWT therapy in diabetes care with different groups of patients and in relation to different clinical objectives and parameters.