چکیده (انگلیسی):

This is a report of seven cases of infected thoracic wounds treated with an adapted
low-cost vacuum therapy in the Thoracic Surgery Unit of Santa Marcelina Hospital. The vacuum
system used was designed and adapted to our hospital due to financial limitations on the
acquisition of commercial kits. The vacuum-assisted closure kit used in this study consisted of
chlorhexidine sponges (which are usually used for antisepsis of the surgical team), a 16F nasogastric
tube, and two sterile adhesive films (OPSITE) for surgical field reinforcement. The mean
duration of vacuum therapy was 13.4 days (range, 10e20 days), with an average of three dressing
changes (range, 1e5). After treatment with vacuum-assisted closure, three wounds (3/7)
were closed with simple primary sutures, one of the lesions (1/7) was closed by muscle flap
rotation, and three wounds (3/7) healed by second intention. This adapted vacuum therapy
was safe and easy to apply in our institution, including its use in patients with thoracostomies.