Much has been discovered about pressure ulcer prevention over the past 50 years, prior to which little was known. This knowledge would go on to be one of the main reasons for wound vac usage.

In the 1960s, scientists discovered that the pressure between the bed and the skin was a factor in bed sore development. Thirty-two (32) mmHg was determined to be the pressure that would cause a stop in blood flow in men. Then, researchers studied the pressure between a patient and a standard bed. For an average male laying on a standard mattress, the pressure generated was approximately 80 mmHg. A patients natural response to this pressure is to toss and turn during rest, thereby resdistributing the pressure. Certain disabilities, such as paralysis, make it so the patient can’t turn during rest and thus pressure uclers occur.

The terms “pressure reduction” and “pressure relief” stemmed from the studies performed in the 1960s. Pressure relief is a pressure below 32 mmHg, the pressure that causes bed sores.

The first methodology used for pressure reduction after the 1960s studies was eggcrate foam beds. Eggcrate foam was placed on top of a regular spring mattress; this method allowed for a little pressure reduction and aided in reducing the development of bed sores. This was also the era in which the first system was developed.

Around this time, a company called Support Systems International made the High Air Loss Therapy Bed. The design included a large tub-like structure filled with small beads. A blower was installed under the beads and air was blown into the mattress, passing through the beads and through a top sheet designed to allow air to flow through. The forced air would cause the beads to move, thus suspending a patient laying on top of the porous sheet. Thus, the first pressure relief product was born. This product allowed a pressure well below what would cause a pressure ulcer.

Despite their effectiveness for minimizing and preventing pressure ulcers, these bed systems had their issues. The foam solution did not last for more than approximately 30 days before the degree of pressure reduction decreased. The heavy and inefficient high air loss mattress also had its problems. Patients couldn’t sit up in bed. Also, the high air flow would cause the skin to dry out, which would yield further problems.

The first line of defense is to prevent the tissue damage from even occurring. Once it occurs, the wound vac system is an effective modality to aid in the healing process.

Prior to considering wound therapy, a care provider will need to look for dead or dying tissue. Necrosis happens when cells and tissue die prematurely. Necrotic tissue does not direct the same chemical signals to the immune system as ordinary cells, so the body doesn’t know how to take care of these cells itself. Medical treatment is typically needed to remove this dead tissue. This is very common in a variety of wounds.

It is imperative to remove the necrotic tissue so that the healing process may begin. Removal of the dead tissue requires the provider to use a surgical method known as debridement. This exposes the healthy tissue below. Once it has debrided, the wound should be moistened and cleansed to get rid of any bacteria that could hamper the healing process. Visit the wound vac area of our website.

Negative pressure therapy has been around since the early 1900s. Originally, it was implemented via open suction applied to wounds. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that researchers began developing the closed suction methodology we know today. Many studies found that this treatment method reduced bacterial growth around the wound and minimized the chances of infection.

These first studies were based on surgically implanted or enclosure type systems. It wasn’t until Dr. Chariker and Dr. Jeter’s studies that the traditional dressing based systems were developed. Their dressing based system was a pre-cursor to the negative pressure therapy system that is used today.

In the 1990s, a very comprehensive NPWT study was published by two researchers from Wake Forest University. This study included the use of a foam type system for NPWT. This study showed that NPWT affects areas of wound healing beyond bacterial growth and minimizing infection. NPWT can have a positive effect on many aspects of wound vac healing including blood flow and getting nutrients to the healing area.