Use of negative pressure wound therapy with simultaneous instillation for treatment of Gustilo type IIIC tibia-fibula fracture during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak at the end of 2019, there have been changes in human habits, customs, and patient management. Conventional wound treatments may not be performed in certain cases due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and alternative methods should be thus considered. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a well-established and widely applied dressing alternative for acute and chronic wounds. Meanwhile, the continuous irrigation associated with simultaneous instillation (NPWTi) is thought to achieve better cleansing and lower infection rates. Although NPWTi is still controversial with regard to flap reconstruction, this report presents a successful management of Gustilo type IIIC tibia-fibula open fracture using NPWTi as a bridge dressing to endure the 14-day quarantine period in a district hospital with insufficient medical staff and resources.

Keywords

• coronavirus disease
• gustilo
• instillation
• negative pressure wound therapy
• open fracture