Efficacy of negative pressure therapy compared to conventional treatment in pressure ulcers

Abstract

Background: pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers are lesions caused by the persistent crushing of some vulnerable area of the body, affected patients can be of any age, as long as they have a state of inability of mobility together with a poor nutritional status. Taking into account the time required for the healing of this type of injuries, as well as the amount of resources and the complications it presents, different therapies have been tried, from wet cures to the most current ones such as negative pressure therapies. Aim: to compare negative pressure therapy with conventional therapy for pressure ulcers. Methodology: a bibliographic review was carried out in the following scientific databases: PubMed, Scopus, and LILACS. Results: with the research it was possible to weigh the therapies applied for the management of pressure ulcers, being exposed the benefits of the different types of dressings used in conventional therapy and negative pressure therapy. Conclusions: conventional therapy is preferred in stage I, II and III ulcers, while, negative pressure therapy is used in stage IV ulcers combined or not with conventional therapy.