Research Paper on:
Wound Closure: Vacuum Assisted Closure Therapy (V.A.C.)

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
healing (KCI, 2000). The subatmospheric pressure is also referred to as controlled negative pressure, i.e., vacuum (KCI USA, Inc., 2003). The V.A.C. therapy is applied to a special dressing  that is placed directly in the wound cavity or it is placed over a flap or graft (KCI, 2000). The negative pressure, vacuum, removes fluids from the wound, which aids  the normal healing process (KCI, 2000). The V.A.C. is a computerized vacuum pump that applies negative pressure to the entire wound; the pressure applied may be set at a continuous  or intermittent rate or as often is the case, the pressure is applied first continuously and then intermittently (Blue Cross, 2002). The vacuum removes fluid "from the interstitial space of  the wound, enhancing vascular perfusion through vessels compressed by the excess fluid pressure" (Blue Cross, 2002). The premise is that when excess fluid is removed, an "accumulation of healing-inhibitory factors"  are also removed (Blue Cross, 2002). The mechanical stretching from the V.A.C. device results in "deformation of cellular bridges, which increases cellular proliferation, protein synthesis, and granulation tissue" (Blue Cross,  2002). The result is advanced and accelerated wound closure (Blue Cross, 2002). The vacuum is accomplished through tubing and is attached to a foam dressing, which is placed in the  cavity of the wound (Medica, 2000). The other end of the tube is attached to a canister that collects the fluid (Medica, 2000). The process is explained thusly: "The promotion  of wound healing is associated with the removal of excess interstitial fluid from the wound, increased vascularity, decreased bacterial colonization, and stimulation of the growth of healthy tissue by drawing  the edges of the wound toward the center. Also, lengthening the time between dressing changes from every six to eight hours with application of saline packs to an average of