The first case, in which negative pressure was used in the treatment of pressure ulcers and chronic wounds, was described in 1993 by Argenta et al. Since then, it has been used in a variety of wounds, including diabetic ulcers, abdominal wounds, sternal wounds, and spinal wounds. The principle of negative pressure includes promotion of [...]

Forty-two patients were evaluated between 1999 and 2002 for nonhealing sternal, spinal, and lower-extremity wounds. There were four patients on oral steroids, and none of the patients were on antigraft rejection drugs.

There were 42 patients obtained in this retrospective study with a variety of infections to wounds, including sternal, (Figure 1) spinal (Figure 2), and lower extremity (Figure 3). Data was collected for age, sex, predisposing factors, microorganisms, duration of wound VAC application, and wound heal­ing rates. Appropriate wound cultures were obtained from the sites after [...]

INTRODUCTION Several million patients suffer from nonhealing wounds in a variety of anatomical sites, costing the health system millions of dollars. The cost and management of these wounds varies in different centers. For example, the cost of managing a diabetic foot infection for approximately two weeks in one center is between $20,000-$25,000 but may be [...]