Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Introduction
Wound management is a complex yet common aspect of small animal veterinary care. Although wound heterogeneity prevents a standardised approach to care, the processes by which wounds heal can largely be classified into overlapping consecutive stages( Figure 1) [ 1, 2 ].
Disruption within the inflammatory and debridement phases, often caused by local infection, can lead to chronic wounds. Chronic wounds often prolong recovery time and increase both the risk of complications, necessitating further hospitalisation of the patient, and the financial burden for both clients
and veterinary practices [ 3 ]. Concurrent comorbidities and patient temperament may complicate hospitalised care further, emphasising the importance of promoting rapid wound healing to optimise patient welfare and outcomes.
Negative-pressure wound therapy( NPWT) is the application of subatmospheric pressure evenly across a wound bed. It is suggested to increase the speed of wound healing via four primary mechanisms: environmental stabilisation, exudate removal, macrodeformation and microdeformation( Figure 2) [ 4 ]. Early NPWT research has suggested that it may also reduce bacterial infection [ 5 ].
Figure 1. The wound healing process [ 1, 2 ].
Figure 2. Mechanisms of action of negative-pressure wound therapy( NPWT) [ 4 ].
Volume 41( 1) • February 2026
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