General information only. It is not medical, coding or billing advice. Always follow the prescriber's order, the device labeling and your facility's policies.
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) uses a sealed dressing, tubing and a small pump to apply controlled suction to a wound. It draws off exudate and infectious material into a canister. The device labeling for the pumps in our catalog lists chronic, acute, traumatic, subacute and dehisced wounds, partial-thickness burns, diabetic and pressure ulcers, flaps and grafts.
Common contraindications in NPWT labeling
Device manuals typically say not to use NPWT over exposed blood vessels, organs, nerves or anastomotic sites, with untreated osteomyelitis, with malignancy in the wound, with unexplored or non-enteric fistulas, or over necrotic tissue with eschar. Always check the specific device's instructions for use.
Practical tips for staff
- Prepare the skin: clean and dry the skin around the wound, clip hair, and use a skin prep so the drape sticks.
- Get a good seal: barrier strips, ostomy paste or an extra film strip help on creases and near joints.
- Change on schedule: follow the labeled change interval for the dressing (for example, the foam kits in our catalog are labeled for changes at least every 72 hours) and the prescriber's order.
- Watch the canister: note the color and volume of drainage and change canisters before they fill.
- Answer alarms quickly: leak, blockage and canister-full alarms mean therapy may have stopped. Many pumps show the cause on screen.
Sources: manufacturer instructions for use for NPWT pumps; Medicare coverage rules for NPWT pumps are in LCD L33821.
See NPWT pumps · NPWT dressings & supplies
Next guide: Equipment for fall-injury risk →Need equipment for a resident?
Call [TBD phone] or send a quote request. We reply with one written quote.