Background: Infected wounds extend healing time and are associated with higher treatment costs than noninfected wounds. Several observational studies indicate that negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation can effectively reduce bacterial bioburden and improve wound healing. Only a few randomized trials with small sample sizes have been published, and a meta-analysis directly comparing negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation to current standard care is lacking. It is therefore uncertain whether negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation actually improves wound healing. The authors performed a systematic review and hypothesized that negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation reduces wound closure time.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched up to December of 2020 for English studies that compare negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation—to either negative-pressure wound therapy without instillation or to other types of wound care—for the treatment of acute or chronically infected wounds. Time to wound closure was analyzed using a random effects meta-analysis in predefined subgroups according to study design and comparative wound care.

Results: The authors identified 14 studies describing 1053 patients. Meta-analysis of three randomized trials shows no significant difference in time to wound closure between negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation and that without (mean difference, 0.48 day; 95 percent CI, −0.70 to 1.65; I² = 0 percent). Data from eleven observational studies indicate that negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation reduces wound closure time (from 1.6 to 16.8 days; no pooled data). Because of imprecision and risk of bias, the available evidence provides only low-level certainty.

Conclusions: There is currently insufficient evidence to support or discard the use of negative-pressure wound therapy with instillation for infected wounds. More randomized trials are needed to determine whether a beneficial effect can be substantiated.