Case study: negative pressure wound therapy in an abdominal wound.

This article explores the history and management of large abdominal wounds and the importance of a multi-disciplinary team approach to wound healing. It identifies the difficulties of using negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in a patient with a large abdominal wound, which is further complicated by an ileostomy. NPWT is increasingly used for large wounds with positive outcomes, however, the case study demonstrates the many difficulties involved and how they were overcome. Cavity wounds can take weeks, or even months to heal and many patients become frustrated. This can have a significant impact on their quality of life. Prolonged hospitalization is not only devastating to the patient and family both physically, psychologically and financially, but is also costly in terms of nursing time and resources.