Wound vac with compression wraps?

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I've been treating a patient's legs with a Profore 4 layer wrap. She has venous stasis edema (without weeping or cellulitis) and a trauma wound that is not healing for the last 6 weeks. The trauma wound has a lot of drainage and is not known to and does not appear infected. I was thinking a wound vac might speed up the healing process (I LOVE them and use them a lot), but I've never used on IN CONJUNCTION with compression wraps. I can't find and don't know of any contraindications, do you? Have you seen this done before?

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Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

I would contact your wound vac rep or the manufacture of the products. If I am understanding you, you are asking about placing a vac and then covering the vac with compression? I don't know where the wound is located. If that is the case I wouldn't do that. How would you apply compression around the vac? If you cover it, that would apply pressure on the system and tubing, which might cause machine malfunction plus the tubing would be pressed. Again, I do not think I am understanding what you are wanting to do?

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I have done this but under hospital supervision, not as outpatient. However, I would consider an outpatient if the person was directly involved with their own care. After the dressing is in place, put a small piece of foam under the tubing near the suction disc. This will prevent the tubing from causing a pressure ulcer under the compression. As you are wrapping the leg, wrap under the tubing so that when you are finished, the tubing is on the outside of the wrap. If still unsure, follow psychnursewannabe's advice and call your vendor rep. They would be happy to assist you.

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I called the rep. She said the pre-fab bridge is great for this and there are no contraindications for using a vac with compression wraps! Yay!

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If you go with the pre-fab, you should still use extra protection under the tubing now that it's going to be under the compression. Either foam or the cotton layer of your Profore.

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