Combining Topical Oxygen and Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy: New Insights from a Pilot Study on Chronic Wound Treatment

Background: Chronic wounds are a growing clinical challenge due to their prolonged healing time and associated healthcare burden. Combined therapeutic approaches, including topical oxygen therapy (TOT) and negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT), have shown promise in enhancing wound healing. This pilot exploratory study aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness of combined TOT and NPWT in chronic wound treatment and to explore the prognostic value of selected laboratory and thermographic markers. Methods: Eighteen patients with chronic wounds due to type 2 diabetes mellitus or chronic venous insufficiency were treated with either TOT alone (control group) or TOT combined with NPWT (intervention group). Wound characteristics, thermographic data, and laboratory parameters (NLR, MLR, PLR, CRP, and total protein) were collected at baseline and during therapy. The primary endpoints were the total treatment duration and complete wound closure. Statistical analyses were exploratory and used non-parametric tests, correlation analyses, and simple linear regression. Results: Ulcer duration was significantly associated with the wound surface area. Lower serum total protein levels correlated negatively with ulcer duration, wound size, and granulation tissue area. A significant reduction in treatment duration was observed in the intervention group compared to the controls. One strong correlation was found between MLR and peripheral wound temperature on day 7 in the control group. No significant group differences were observed in wound size or thermographic measures after one week of treatment. Conclusions: Combining TOT and NPWT may reduce treatment duration in chronic wound management. Selected laboratory and thermographic markers show promise as prognostic tools. These exploratory findings require confirmation in larger, randomized trials.