The injuries sustained by British soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq are frequently associated with extensive soft tissue stripping contamination and high levels of exudate. They are particularly prone to infection by both bacteria and fungi. Wound management in such scenarios is therefore challenging. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been found to be extremely effective in the treatment of such wounds. This article looks at three cases of traumatic wounds (two military wounds and one traumatic crush wound) and how the use of NPWT, particularly using a gauze-based system, has helped to optimise care.
