Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been shown to improve wound care outcomes for
acute and chronic wounds as well as for surgical incision sites. We have found that patients
report significant pain during dressing changes specifically with the removal of the clear
adhesive drape. Upon review of the literature, there were multiple studies related to pain
and the removal of the sponge (filler) but limited studies relating to the pain associated
with the removal of the drape. The patient reported pain with drape removal has led to
increased psychological stress and decreased compliance with the dressing change protocol.
Application of a topical anesthetic to the drape during the dressing change has the potential
to decrease the pain experienced by the patient. An FDA approved ethyl chloride spray is a
topical anesthetic that can be sprayed onto the outer perimeter of the drape during the
dressing change as a means to decrease pain. We hypothesize that the use of ethyl chloride
spray will result in patients experiencing less pain leading to decreased psychological
stress, improved compliance with dressing changes, and overall improved customer
satisfaction.