Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT/VAC therapy) accelerates wound healing primarily by which mechanism?

• A Promoting angiogenesis, removing oedema, and applying mechanical deformation stimulating cell proliferation ✓
• B Providing a moist wound environment and reducing microbial colonisation
• C Delivering topical antibiotics to the wound bed under pressure
• D Maintaining normothermia at the wound surface to optimise enzyme activity

Explanation

NPWT works through multiple mechanisms: subatmospheric pressure removes excess wound fluid (reducing interstitial oedema), improves local blood flow and angiogenesis, applies microdeformational forces that stimulate cell proliferation (mechanotransduction), reduces wound volume by macrodeformation, and maintains a moist environment. It does not deliver antibiotics and its primary mechanism is mechanical/haemodynamic rather than antimicrobial.

Reference: Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.