Author(s)

Emily R. Kindal¹, Kaitlin J. Larson², Luis G. Fernandez^3,4,5#, Sean F. O’Keefe⁶, Marc R. Matthews^7*

¹Medical Student IV, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
²Surgical Resident, The Arrowhead Surgical Residency, Glendale, Arizona.
³Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler, USA.
⁴Trauma Wound Care, UT Health East, Tyler, USA.
⁵Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA.
⁶Business Development Manager, Saint Paul, US.
⁷University of Arizona & Creighton University Schools of Medicine, The Arizona Burn Center, Phoenix, Arizona.

Contact burn injuries account for a considerable proportion of admissions that frequently require debridement. Such debridements of these multiple open wounds might benefit from the application of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for the removal of proinflammatory mediators and to promote granulation tissue with macrostrain and microstrain. Having four or more Vacuum Assist Closure (V.A.C.) Ulta devices connected to the same patient for adequate wound coverage is cumbersome in the management of the patient’s wound care and tethers the patient to the bed. The V.A.C. RX-4 is a multichannel device that can deliver NPWT with a smaller footprint. In addition, the V.A.C. RX-4 has a weight of 16 lbs. versus one V.A.C Ulta which is 7.4 lbs. Therefore, collectively, four V.A.C. Ultas would equal 29.6 lbs. or almost double the weight of a single V.A.C. RX-4. Use of the V.A.C. RX-4 by healthcare providers can mean greater mobility for the patient and easier transport between patient destinations within the hospital. This case report demonstrates the utility of the V.A.C. RX-4 for open and freshly debrided, large soft tissue wounds in a burn patient.

V.A.C. RX-4, Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, Wounds, V.A.C. Ulta, Footprint, Burns

Kindal, E. , Larson, K. , Fernandez, L. , O’Keefe, S. and Matthews, M. (2022) The Use of the V.A.C. RX-4 for Multiple Soft Tissue Wound Application in the Single Patient: A Case Report. Surgical Science, 13, 155-163. doi: 10.4236/ss.2022.133020.