02063nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260004600042653002100088653001500109100001100124700001100135700001000146700001100156700001000167700001000177700001100187700001200198700001300210700001100223700001000234700001000244700001100254700001200265700001200277700001100289700001100300700001100311245010900322856011900431300001100550490000800561520109500569022002501664       2021                            d  bOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)10aGeneral Medicine10aWound care1 aKim KJ1 aMin JH1 aYoo I1 aKim SW1 aLee J1 aRyu S1 aYou YH1 aPark JS1 aJeong WJ1 aCho YC1 aOh SK1 aIn YN1 aAhn HJ1 aKang CS1 aKyung H1 aLee BK1 aLee DH1 aLee DH00aNegative pressure wound therapy for skin necrosis prevention after snakebite in the emergency department  uhttps://journals.lww.com/md-journal/Fulltext/2021/01220/Negative_pressure_wound_therapy_for_skin_necrosis.135.aspx  ae242900 v1003 aThis retrospective cohort study aimed to compare the effectiveness of conventional treatment and ultra-early application of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in patients with snakebites.

Patients who visited the emergency department within 24 hours after a snakebite were assigned to the non- NPWT or NPWT group. Swelling resolution time and rates of necrosis, infection, and operations were compared between the 2 groups. The Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale was used to measure short- and long-term wound healing results.

Among the included 61 patients, the swelling resolution time was significantly shorter in the NPWT group than in non- NPWT group (P = .010). The NPWT group showed lower necrosis (4.3% versus 36.8%; P = .003) and infection (13.2% and 4.3%; P = .258) rates than the non- NPWT group. The median Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale scores were higher in the NPWT group than in the non- NPWT group (P< .001).

These findings suggest that ultra-early application of NPWT reduces edema, promotes wound healing, and prevents necrosis in patients with snakebites.  a0025-7974, 1536-5964