Comparison of Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy and Modern Dressing on Wound Healing in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Patients with diabetic foot ulcers are at the risk of limb amputation. One of the most common treatments to prevent limb amputation is the use of dressings or other appropriate treatments. This study was conducted to compare the effect of two methods of vacuum-assisted closure therapy and modern dressing on wound healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

This descriptive cross-sectional study (n=140) was performed on patients with grade 2 and 3 diabetic foot ulcers referring to selected hospitals affiliated with the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, in 2019. The necessary data were collected using a two-part questionnaire of demographic characteristics and wound condition checklist distributed at the baseline and once a week up to 4 weeks. The Wagner ulcer classification system was used to measure the degree of the wound. Different types of new dressings, including foam, hydrocolloid, hydrogel, alginate, and hydrofilm, were used in the present study depending on the patientchr('39')s needs and wound conditions. In this study, vacuum therapy is performed by a vacuum device made in Iran. Finally, the changes in depth, discharge, shape, size, and degree of the wound were compared in the two groups. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using descriptive and inferential statistics.

The results showed that the mean scores of changes in the area, discharge, depth, and degree of the wound were significant in the two groups after the intervention (P-value<0.05). It was also found that it was found that the vacuum-assisted closure therapy method was more effective in wound healing than the new dressing method.

The results indicated that both vacuum-assisted closure therapy and modern dressing methods were effective in healing diabetic foot ulcers. However, vacuum therapy-assisted closure therapy could accelerate and improve the healing process of diabetic foot ulcers, compared to the modern dressing method. Patients with diabetes, as a vulnerable group, need educational planning and counseling services regarding treatment and recovery. Since nurses are the main individuals who can provide the required services in the field of planning and caring for a patient with diabetes, they can play a key role in guiding the patient to choose the appropriate treatment for the type of wound at the onset of the treatment process.