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VACuum-Assisted Closure for Necrotizing Soft Tissue infecTIONs

Not Applicable
Not yet recruiting
Conditions
Necrotising Soft Tissue Infections
Interventions
Other: Conventional dressing
Other: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)
Registration Number
NCT05071443
Lead Sponsor
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Brief Summary

Intro: Necrotizing and soft tissue infections (NSTI) are life-threatening bacterial infections characterized by subcutaneous tissue, fascia or muscle necrosis. The hospital mortality of NSTI is high, comprised between 20 and 30%. NSTIs represent the 4th cause of septic shock. Early management of NSTIs requires a coordinated and multidisciplinary approach, including broad-spectrum antibiotic administration, management of organ failures and aggressive surgical debridement with excision of all necrotic and infected tissues. NSTIs involve the lower limbs in about 70% of cases and lead in 15% of cases to limb amputation. During the early post-operative phase, daily wound care is required using conventional dressings. As soon as the infectious process is controlled, typically within 7 to 10 days of the initial debridement, the main goal of wound dressing is to allow for a granulation tissue to develop so that to perform a skin grafting. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), which consists in applying a negative pressure on the wound surface, may be used to this effect. A dedicated dressing is connected to a device that generates a negative pressure and collects exudates. NPWT may have a positive effect on wound healing by removing exudate, increasing regional perfusion and patient comfort and reducing infections. Beneficial effects of NPWT have been suggested by case series. However, no randomized controlled trial are currently available to adequately assess its efficiency and the 2014 guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) on NSTI did not provide recommendations regarding NPWT use for managing NSTI wounds. The study's hypothesis is that in patients managed for NSTIs, NPWT: 1) may accelerate skin grafting and complete wound healing; and 2) improve functional outcomes.

Detailed Description

Hypothesis/Objective: To demonstrate in patients who underwent a surgical debridement of the lower limb for NSTI a superiority of a wound dressing strategy using NPWT (intervention) as compared with conventional wound dressing on local healing (complete) and the recovery of walking.

Method: Open-label randomized controlled trial with blinded assessment of the primary end point. Randomization in two arms: experimental group (NPWT) versus control group (conventional dressing) until skin grafting (decided by the attending surgeon).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
130
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Written informed consent
  • NSTI/NF of the lower limb clinically suspected and confirmed by surgery with a first debridement performed since 5 days or more
  • Infection considered controlled (i.e., no more surgical debridement is necessary)
  • Last debridement performed at least 72 hours before
  • Affiliation to a social security system
Exclusion Criteria
  • Limited life expectancy
  • NPWT already initiated for the current NSTI/NF episode
  • 1st surgical debridement performed less than 5 days or more than 15 days before
  • High risk of bleeding (blood vessels exposed)
  • Local neoplasia
  • Risk of organ or peripheral nerve injury
  • Impossibility to set up a NPWT dressing hermetically
  • Limb amputation
  • Patient unable to walk without help
  • Women who are pregnant or are breast-feeding, or are of childbearing age and do not use or do not plan to use acceptable birth control measures
  • Patients under legal protection
  • Prisoners

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Conventional dressingConventional dressingConventional dressing will be performed from randomization to skin grafting. The dressings will be performed following usual procedures of investigating centers
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT): an NPWT device will be applied hermetically from randomization to skin grafting.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The time elapsed between randomization and the onset of a combined outcome measure including a complete healing of the diseased limb and the recovery of walking.between Day 0 and 3 months

Complete healing of the diseased limb is defined by more than 90% of functional skin covering the wound and Recovery of walking is defined by the ability to walk at least 100 steps, corresponding to approximately 30 meters, without help

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Short Form - 36at Day 0, 3 months and 6 months
Activities of Daily Living scoreat Day 0, 3 months and 6 months
Pain assessmentbetween Day 0 and 3 months

Pain assessment at each wound care by the patient (visual analogic scale), the nurse (behavioral pain scale) and quantification of morphine consumption (in morphine base equivalent): measured by the investigator at each wound care

Quantification of the number of anesthesia procedures (general anesthesia, sedation)between Day 0 and 6 months
Time elapsed between randomization and skin graftingbetween Day 0 and 6 months
Number of local superinfection episodesbetween Day 0 and 3 months
Quantification of the walking capacityat 3 months and 6 months

measured over one week with a pedometer by the research nurse, at 3 and 6 months

Duration of hospital staybetween Day 0 and 6 months
Quantification of the time needed for each wound care before randomization and skin graftingbetween Day 0 and 6 months

this measure will be recorded once a week for one wound care

Need for stopping the NPWTbetween Day 0 and 3 months
Number of surgeries performed between randomization and skin graftingbetween Day 0 and 6 months

All surgeries will be recorded, including their date and indication

Number of surgeries performed after skin graftingbetween Day 0 and 6 months

All surgeries will be recorded, including their date and indication, all surgeries will be recorded, including their date and indication

Mortality assessedat 3 months and 6 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris - CHU Henri Mondor

🇫🇷

Créteil, France

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