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Simplified negative pressure wound therapy systems can provide healing results comparable to more complex systems, a new study shows. 

Some advanced NPWT systems are too complex for routine use and are not cost- effective for many healthcare providers, according to investigators from Brazil’s Bahia State General Hospital. 

Researchers treated patients with difficult-to-manage wounds using a “simplified” NPWT system that’s quieter, easier to use and more widely available than the “gold standard” systems, they said.

Healing of the wounds treated with the simplified system was found to be satisfactory in 87% of the cases, and had low complication rates. 

Those results show promise for healthcare facilities with limited resources or fewer trained staff members, researchers said. 

In addition to positive healing outcomes, the simplified system also saved money. Typical NPWT costs range from $700 to $3,450 per patient each week, while the simplified system cost around $390 per person each week and $174 for each vacuum dressing.

Results of the study appear in the February issue of Wounds