密閉式抽吸療法－－傷口照護的新選擇

Using Vacuum-Assisted Closure (VAC) in Wound Management

密閉式抽吸療法是在傷口上施以負壓，藉由敷料引流管將壓力平均分佈在傷口上，讓開放性傷口變成受控制密閉式環境的一種傷口照護方式。它不但臨床上容易操作，且能增加傷口癒合的速度、減少病人在治療過程中疼痛、縮短住院日數、降低醫療費用支出以及減少護理時間等優點，還能運用於有多處傷口或是不同專科的病人，其多元的優點是絕對值得肯定。當國人平均壽命提高、老年人口逐年增加以及系統性疾病複雜度提高，臨床上出現病人有慢性或難癒傷口的情形也有增加趨勢。對病人及家屬而言，慢性或難癒傷口恢復速度緩慢，在照護過程中人力與財力付出都是極大的壓力。此外，達到促進傷口癒合的照護目標，一直是醫護人員努力突破的範疇，減少傷口照護的醫療費用，也是國家社會在經濟層面期望達成的目標。密閉式抽吸療法的推廣應用，未來可能會是在傷口照護領域中，提供慢性或難癒傷口的照護方式之一，並能協助達到滿足病人與家屬、醫護人員以及國家社會各層次需求的一項選擇。

A new method for wound management, vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) is a technique that applies negative pressure to a wound bed through a porous, open-cell foam that fills the wound cavity. Its advantages include rapid wound healing, reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, lower medical costs, and fewer nursing responsibilities. It can also be used with patients suffering from multiple wounds. The tool may be used to address wounds that are appearing more frequently now that technological advancements are prolonging the lives of elderly patients. Reducing costs associated with wound treatments is therefore becoming an increasingly important issue in health care.