Value of negative pressure sealing drainage on wound healing of Gustilo IIIB and IIIC open fractures

Abstract

BACKGROUND Gustilo III fractures have a high incidence and are difficult to treat. Patients often experience difficulty in wound healing. Negative pressure drainage technology can help shorten wound healing time and has positive value in improving patient prognosis. AIM To explore the clinical value of the negative pressure sealing drainage technique in wound healing of Gustilo IIIB and IIIC open fractures. METHODS Eighty patients with Gustilo IIIB and IIIC open fractures with skin and soft tissue injuries who were treated in the Second People’s Hospital of Dalian from March 2019 to December 2021 were selected as the research subjects. They were divided into a study group (n = 40, healed with negative pressure closed drainage) and a control group (n = 40, healed with conventional dressing changes) according to the variation in the healing they received. The efficacy of the clinical interventions, the variations in the regression indicators (time to wound healing, time to fracture healing, time to hospitalization), and the conversion and healing of bacterial wounds were compared 1-3 mo after the intervention. RESULTS The total effective rate of patients among the study group was 95.00% (38/40), which was notably higher than 75.00% (30/40) among the control group (P < 0.05). The wound healing time, fracture healing time, and hospital stay of the patients in the study group was shorter than the control group (P < 0.05). After the intervention, the negative bacterial culture at the wound site rate and wound healing rate of the patients among the study group increased compared to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Negative pressure sealing and drainage technology has a good therapeutic effect on patients with Gustilo IIIB and IIIC open fracture wounds with skin and soft tissue injury. It can notably enhance the wound healing rate and the negative rate of bacteria on the wound surface and help to speed up the recovery process of patients.