Infection Risk in Obese Unaltered by NPWT.

• Position: CESAREAN DELIVERY

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) does not appear to lower the risk of infection for obese women after cesarean delivery, suggests a study appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The treatment involves placing a low-pressure pump over a closed surgical wound to create negative air pressure. Earlier studies had suggested that NPWT might reduce infection risk and promote healing after surgery. The study of more than 1,600 obese women found no significant difference in infection between women treated with NPWT and those receiving standard wound dressing.

The study was conducted by Methodius G. Tuuli of the Indiana University School of Medicine and colleagues. Tuuli is vice chair for Obstetrics and director of Perinatal Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Obese women are more likely to have cesarean delivery and more likely...