Open AccessA comparison of diabetic foot ulcer outcomes using negative pressure wound therapy versus historical standard of care
Author(s) -
Lavery Lawrence A,
Boulton Andrew J,
Niezgoda Jeffrey A,
Sheehan Peter
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
international wound journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1742-481X
pISSN - 1742-4801
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-481x.2007.00317.x
Subject(s) - medicine , negative pressure wound therapy , diabetic foot , wound care , diabetic foot ulcer , diabetes mellitus , clinical endpoint , surgery , foot (prosody) , randomized controlled trial , alternative medicine , philosophy , pathology , endocrinology , linguistics
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a leading cause of morbidity and hospitalisation among patients with diabetes. We analysed claims data for Medicare part B diabetic foot ulcer patients treated with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy at home (N = 1135) and diabetic foot ulcer patients from a published meta‐analysis of randomised controlled wet‐to‐moist therapy. The expected costs of care for the two treatments were also compared. A significantly greater proportion of wounds treated with NPWT achieved a successful treatment endpoint compared with wet‐to‐moist therapy at both 12 weeks (39·5% versus 23·9%; P < 0·001) and 20 weeks (46·3% versus 32·8%; P < 0·001). NPWT‐treated patients reached a successful wound treatment endpoint more rapidly, and the benefit was apparent in all wound sizes. Expected 20‐week treatment costs for NPWT were similar to those for wet‐to‐moist therapy if one nursing visit per day for the latter is assumed but 42% less if two nursing visits per day are made. Thus, NPWT may improve the proportion of DFUs that attain a successful wound treatment endpoint and decrease resource utilisation by a given health care system compared with standard wet‐to‐moist therapy.