Initial Clinical Observations Using a Novel Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Drape Comprised of Acrylic and Silicon

Background: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has historically used adhesive acrylic drape to cover foam dressings in the wound bed. To offer an alternative to the existing acrylic drape, a novel drape comprised of silicone and acrylic has been developed with ease-of-use and patient comfort in mind.

Purpose: The objective of this user evaluation was to assess this hybrid drape for ease of application, seal performance with NPWT, skin integrity, and patient comfort.

Methods: A total of 53 drape applications, using standard NPWT at -125 mmHg, were administered on 7 female and 10 male patients (n=17) in Chile over a 2-week period during April of 2018. The mean age of patients was 52.5 ± 17 years. Drapes were applied over foam dressings on various wound types (eg, pressure ulcers or over a split-thickness skin graft) and were changed every 48 to 72 hours. Overall, negative pressure was maintained for 48 hours in 100% of the initial applications.

Results: In 40 of 53 applications (75%), no drape reinforcement (ie, drape strips to troubleshoot leak alarms) was required, whereas 13/53 (25%) required reinforcement for leakage. In addition, no signs of maceration or irritation were reported, and 100% of patients claimed no pain upon drape removal. During the first week, 15 of 24 (62.5%) applications maintained a seal without reinforcement; however, this percentage was increased to 86.2% (25/29) during week 2, after further training healthcare practitioners (HCPs) on proper drape application. In the 14% of applications where a leak was detected during week 2, HCPs simply smoothed out wrinkles without loss of adhesion.

Conclusion: Data from this initial evaluation suggest that the use of a hybrid drape composed of acrylic and silicone provides adhesion to maintain a seal yet is gentle upon removal during dressing changes, thereby potentially improving the HCP and patient experience when undergoing NPWT.