Health economic assessment of negative pressure wound therapy use in the management of subcutaneous abdominal wound healing impairment (SAWHI) in the out‐of‐hospital setting – ScienceOpen
Health economic assessment of negative pressure wound therapy use in the management of subcutaneous abdominal wound healing impairment (SAWHI) in the out‐of‐hospital setting
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Abstract
Development of subcutaneous abdominal wound healing impairment (SAWHI) can greatly
affect patient care. Complications from SAWHI include delayed healing, increased risk
of infection, and fascial dehiscence resulting in increased patient care and associated
costs. Treatment options include conventional wound treatment or negative pressure
wound therapy, both of which can be used in the out‐of‐hospital setting. However,
limited published evidence on cost‐effectiveness exists. A conservative health economic
model was created to assess the cost–benefit of negative pressure wound therapy in
the out‐of‐hospital setting for the management of SAWHI. Study data from a published
multicentre randomised controlled trial were used and represented 221 patients that
received care in the out‐of‐hospital setting. The mean per‐patient total cost within
42 days was slightly higher in the negative pressure wound therapy group (2034.98
€ versus 1918.91 €); however, when wound closure rates were considered, a cost savings
of 4155.98 € per closed wound was observed with the use of negative pressure wound
therapy (4324.34 € versus 8480.32 €). A cost‐effectiveness analysis was constructed,
and negative pressure wound therapy was observed to have a lower cost of care and
a higher incremental closure rate.
Postoperative wound healing plays a significant role in facilitating a patient's recovery and rehabilitation. Surgical wound dehiscence (SWD) impacts on mortality and morbidity rates and significantly contributes to prolonged hospital stays and associated psychosocial stressors on individuals and their families. A narrative review of SWD was undertaken on English-only studies between 1945 and 2012 using three electronic databases Ovid CINHAL, Ovid Medline and Pubmed. The aim of this review was to identify predisposing factors for SWD and assessment tools to assist in the identification of at-risk patients. Key findings from the included 15 papers out of a search of 1045 revealed the most common risk factors associated with SWD including obesity and wound infection, particularly in the case of abdominal surgery. There is limited reporting of variables associated with SWD across other surgical domains and a lack of risk assessment tools. Furthermore, there was a lack of clarity in the definition of SWD in the literature. This review provides an overview of the available research and provides a basis for more rigorous analysis of factors that contribute to SWD.
Question Is negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) an effective and safe treatment option for subcutaneous abdominal wound healing impairment (SAWHI) after surgery? Findings In the randomized clinical SAWHI study that included 507 adults, wounds were closed significantly faster and more often in the NPWT arm (36.1 days for 92 of 256 study participants) than with conventional wound treatment (39.1 days for 54 of 251 participants). The number of participants with wound-related adverse events was higher in the NPWT arm (48 of 234) than in the conventional wound treatment arm (27 of 201). Meaning For SAWHI after surgery, NPWT is an effective treatment alternative to conventional wound treatment but causes more wound-related adverse events. Importance Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is an established treatment option, but there is no evidence of benefit for subcutaneous abdominal wound healing impairment (SAWHI). Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of NPWT for SAWHI after surgery in clinical practice. Design, Setting, and Participants The multicenter, multinational, observer-blinded, randomized clinical SAWHI study enrolled patients between August 2, 2011, and January 31, 2018. The last follow-up date was June 11, 2018. The trial included 34 abdominal surgical departments of hospitals in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and 539 consecutive, compliant adult patients with SAWHI after surgery without fascia dehiscence were randomly assigned to the treatment arms in a 1:1 ratio stratified by study site and wound size using a centralized web-based tool. A total of 507 study participants (NPWT, 256; CWT, 251) were assessed for the primary end point in the modified intention-to-treat (ITT) population. Interventions Negative pressure wound therapy and conventional wound treatment (CWT). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was time until wound closure (delayed primary closure or by secondary intention) within 42 days. Safety analysis comprised the adverse events (AEs). Secondary outcomes included wound closure rate, quality of life (SF-36), pain, and patient satisfaction. Results Of the 507 study participants included in the modified ITT population, 287 were men (56.6%) (NPWT, 155 [60.5%] and CWT, 132 [52.6%]) and 220 were women (43.4%) (NPWT, 101 [39.5%] and CWT 119 [47.4%]). The median (IQR) age of the participants was 66 (18) years in the NPWT arm and 66 (20) years in the CWT arm. Mean time to wound closure was significantly shorter in the NPWT arm (36.1 days) than in the CWT arm (39.1 days) (difference, 3.0 days; 95% CI 1.6-4.4; P < .001). Wound closure rate within 42 days was significantly higher with NPWT (35.9%) than with CWT (21.5%) (difference, 14.4%; 95% CI, 6.6%-22.2%; P < .001). In the therapy-compliant population, excluding study participants with unauthorized treatment changes (NPWT, 22; CWT, 50), the risk for wound-related AEs was higher in the NPWT arm (risk ratio, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.99-2.35). Conclusions and Relevance Negative pressure wound therapy is an effective treatment option for SAWHI after surgery; however, it causes more wound-related AEs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01528033 This randomized clinical trial evaluate the effectiveness and safety of negative pressure wound therapy for subcutaneous abdominal wound healing impairment after surgery in clinical practice.
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