Successful treatment of an infected wound in infants by a combination of negative pressure wound therapy and arginine supplementation.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Wound dehiscence caused by surgical site infection (SSI) presents a complicated problem. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) was developed to treat wound dehiscence. Nutritional treatment using arginine has also been recently shown to be effective for the treatment of pressure ulcers. Therefore, wound complications due to SSI were treated using NPWT combined with nutritional therapy with an arginine-rich supplement (ARS).

METHODS:

Six pediatric patients with wound dehiscence due to SSI received this combined therapy.

RESULTS:

The average age of the patients was 12.2 mo. The operations that these patients underwent included laryngotracheal separation, radical operation for spinal bifida, gastrostomy, colostomy, anorectoplasty, and tumor extirpation. A local wound infection induced wound dehiscence in all patients. Therefore, NPWT was introduced with an enteral administration of ARS. All wounds completely healed within 1 mo after the introduction of this combined therapy without any other complications from the NPWT or ARS. A follow-up study at 6 mo after this therapy was completed showed no complications associated with the wounds.

CONCLUSION:

This combination therapy using NPWT and ARS administration was effective in inducing early healing of infected wound complications after surgery.

• Authors: Kouji Masumoto, Kouji Nagata, Yoichiro Oka, Hiroki Kai, Sadako Yamaguchi, Mika Wada, Tsuyoshi Kusuda, Toshiro Hara, Shin-ichi Hirose, Akinori Iwasaki, Tomoaki Taguchi
• Journal: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) (Nutrition) 2011 Nov-Dec Vol. 27 Issue 11-12 Pg. 1141-5 ISSN: 1873-1244 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21621390 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Arginine

Topics

• Arginine (administration & dosage, blood)
• Child, Preschool
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Dietary Supplements
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Male
• Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy (methods)
• Pressure Ulcer (therapy)
• Surgical Wound Dehiscence (therapy)
• Treatment Outcome