Management of open wounds with traditional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) in conjunction with a Y-connector

Background and aims:
Management of large open wounds is a significant problem for clinicians. The use of traditional NPWT has been shown to be safe and effective1. In patients with more than one wound using a single pump may have advantages in terms of pump cost, and may help improve patient mobility and concordance.

Methods
A retrospective analysis was undertaken of two real world databases, identifying patients who had two wounds connected to a single NPWT pump*, via a Y-connector#.

Results
A population of 173 patients (30 trauma, 36 pressure injury, 100 dehisced surgical, and 7 venous leg ulcers) was identified. The mean time to reach the treatment goal was 9.0 days, and during this period, the mean percentage reduction in wound size was 66.1%. No device related adverse events were reported.

Conclusion
The use of NPWT and a Y-connector has been shown to be safe and effective, and may lead to significant savings in time and resources.
References
<ol>
<li>Hurd T, et al. A retrospective comparison of the performance of two Negative Pressure Wound Therapy systems in the management of wounds of mixed aetiology. Adv Wound Care 2017; 6: 33-37

Trademarked Items (if applicable): * RenasysTM, Smith and Nephew, Fort Worth, TX
#Renasys Y-connector, Smith and Nephew, Fort Worth, TX

References (if applicable): References
1. Hurd T, et al. A retrospective comparison of the performance of two Negative Pressure Wound Therapy systems in the management of wounds of mixed aetiology. Adv Wound Care 2017; 6: 33-37