Assessment of a Novel Drape Containing Acrylic- and Silicone-Based Adhesives When Using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

Pain during removal of adhesive drapes when using negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) can be an issue in wound care. A novel drape with silicone- and acrylic-based adhesive has been developed to offer an alternative to traditional acrylic drape.

A retrospective assessment of 46 hybrid adhesive drape (ha-Drape) removals during NPWT by nine health-care professionals was performed. There were 35 patients with an average age of 61.2 ± 13.4 years; all drapes had been applied to wounds (e.g., surgically dehisced wounds) within the previous three days over polyurethane foam dressings. In all but one case, NPWT was applied at -125 mmHg; in one case, NPWT at -50 mmHg was applied for seven days with dressing and drape changes every 2–3 days. Patients had several comorbidities, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

Overall, pain was assessed as part of 39 of the 46 (84.8%) drape removals: a pain scale (e.g., Visual Analog Scale) was used in 27 of 39 (69.2%) assessments, or the requirement for pain medication within one hour of drape removal was noted for 13 of 39 (28.3%) cases—one patient who received pain medication was also assessed using a pain scale.

Overall, a mean pain score of 3.04 ± 3.0 before drape removal or a mean pain score of 2.23 ± 2.2 after removal of the drape was reported, which is consistent with the ha-Drape containing gentle adhesives. Opioid medications were administered in relation to nine removals. Other pain medications included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and local anesthetics. The most common reason given for pain medication was the removal of foam (41.2%) or removal of the foam and drape (35.3%).

Overall, data from this retrospective review suggest that the use of the ha-Drape is gentle upon removal during dressing changes, thereby potentially improving the patient experience when undergoing NPWT.