Evaluating the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy in reducing surgical site infections: A systematic review

Summary: Abstract Body: Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain significant postoperative complications, impeding wound healing and increasing healthcare burden. In dermatological practice, wound care is critical, especially for chronic wounds and post-surgical healing.Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) has emerged as an innovative intervention, minimizing infections, optimizing wound bed preparation, and promoting epithelialization. This systematic review evaluates NPWT's efficacy in managing SSIs and its dermatological applications. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, sourcing data from PubMed, PMC,and Google Scholar using search terms related to NPWT and SSIs. Articles were assessed for quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.18,199 articles were identified. After removing duplicates and irrelevant studies, 409 articles underwent screening. Eight high-quality randomized controlled trials(RCTs) involving 1,196 patients were included. The studies focused on adults undergoing NPWT for conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers and post-arthroplasty wounds.NPWT was compared to traditional dressings, with outcomes including infection rates,epithelialization time, hospital stay duration, blister formation, seromas, wound complications, and amputations. NPWT demonstrated significant improvements in reducing infections and accelerating wound healing(p < 0.05). NPWT has shown remarkable efficacy in reducing SSIs and enhancing wound care outcomes,particularly in conditions frequently encountered in dermatological practice, such as chronic ulcers and complex post-surgical wounds.NPWT fosters a conducive environment for epithelialization and mitigates complications. While these findings underscore its promise, further research focusing on dermatology-specific surgical contexts and patient populations is essential to validate its widespread applicability. Balakrishnan Kamaraj¹, Hrithik Dakssesh Putta Nagarajan¹, Jagjot Singh², Yohalakshmi Velkumar¹, Akanksha Singh³, Naveen Vishwanath⁴ 1. Madurai Medical College, Madurai, TN, India. 2. Government Medical College Amritsar, Amritsar, PB, India. 3. KVG Medical College and Hospital, Sullia, KA, India. 4. Madha Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai, TN, India. Stem Cell Biology, Tissue Regeneration and Wound Healing