Evaluation of a new low-cost negative pressure wound therapy in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a new and low-cost negative pressure wound therapy (LC-NPWT) in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Method: In this retrospective cohort study, patients from our inpatient clinic with Wagner grade 3 DFUs were given LC-NPWT or conventional wound dressings. The primary outcome was the wound healing rates. Complete wound healing, defined as complete re-epithelialisation of the wound, was recorded during the two months of follow-up. The definition of complete epidermis of the wound was that the skin was closed (100% re-epithelialisation), with no drainage or dressing. The secondary outcomes were the number of inpatient days and surgical procedures, and outcomes after hospital discharge. The wound score from the Bates-Jensen wound assessment tool and the levels of the inflammation factors procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were compared between the two groups. The Kaplan-Meier survival estimate was used to examine the cumulative wound healing rate. Results: The study cohort comprised 41 patients. The two-month wound healing rate was higher in patients in the LC-NPWT group than in the control group (15/21 (71.4%) versus 8/20 (40.0%), respectively; p=0.043). At the end of the two-month follow-up period, the cumulative wound healing rate was higher in the LC-NPWT group than in the control group (p=0.032). Patients in the LC-NPWT group had fewer inpatient days (19.3 +/- 3.84 versus 25.05 +/- 4.81; p<0.001) and shorter duration of antibiotic use (32.14 +/- 3.89 days versus 36.10 +/- 5.80 days; p=0.014) than those who received conventional wound dressings. There were significant improvements in mean wound score between the LC-NPWT group and the control group (p<0.001). After one week of treatment, the blood levels of PCT (0.03 +/- 0.30ng/ml versus 0.07 +/- 0.08ng/ml; p=0.039), CRP (14.55 +/- 13.40mg/l versus 24.71 +/- 18.10mg/l; p=0.047) and ESR (42.05 +/- 29.29mm/h versus 61.65 +/- 22.42mm/h; p=0.021) were lower in patients who received LC-NPWT than those who received conventional wound dressings. Conclusion: LC-NPWT is effective in the treatment of DFUs and provides a cheaper alternative for patients with DFUs that could potentially alleviate the economic distress these patients endure. Declaration of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest.