DOES THE NEGATIVE PRESSURE DRESSING REMOVE THE NECROTIC PARTS OF THE WOUNDS? A HISTOPATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF WOUND FLUID

Introduction: Wound fluid collected in the container of the negative pressure dressing system was examined histopatologically to reveal detailed information about cellular and liquid components of it. Materials and Methods: This study included six wounds of six patients who had injured with electrical burn, traffic accident and scald burn. All of the wounds were debrided surgically to viable-appearing tissue and then a negative pressure dressing was applied to the wounds. Then, the wound fluid collected in the container of the dressing system and its components were examined histopatologically under light microscope. Results: Evaluation of all specimens revealed that the content of the samples was including exudate, fibrin, nonviable epithelial cells and fibrocytes, cell remnants such as nucleus or cell membrane, but no viable tissue or cell. Conclusions: Negative pressure dressing may be considered as a tool for the debridement of wounds which involve bacterial colonization, exudate, particles or insignificant tissue necrosis.