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Wound V.A.C. (Vacuum Assisted Closure) Treatment is a therapy used widely within the workers’ comp and healthcare world. It’s known to expedite the healing process, essentially returning an injured worker back to work or a familiar way of life sooner. However, it’s equally important to understand how V.A.C. Therapy works deep inside the wound to achieve these outcomes.

V.A.C. Therapy provides negative pressure wound therapy for applications ranging from severe wounds and grafts/flaps to post-surgical incision management. The variety of V.A.C. Dressing configurations enhances ease-of-application and reduces the need for dressing changes to only every 48-72 hours. The durability and portability of the battery-powered V.A.C. Therapy System enables patients to receive treatment during ambulation or other arrangements.

KCI offers a wide range of clinically proven, economically beneficial wound healing therapies and technologies designed to deliver positive outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals. They even have a branch designed for veteranarian use — KCI Animal Health.

We are used to seeing this used for injured workers, but interestingly enough, this technology was repurposed to save the life of a sea turtle after sustaining two propeller injuries - and even shortened his healing time.

Zack Craft,  vice president of rehabilitation technology and complex care for Total Medical Solutions, encourages a standing feature integrated into a wheelchair base whenever possible for injured workers confined to a wheelchair. While these types of wheelchairs are more expensive on the front end, they provide for greatly improved mobility and enhanced wellness of the patient. Thus, they provide for much better outcomes over the life of the claim. 

Wheelchair Standing Defined.

Wheelchairs with built in standing features allow the patient to obtain a standing position without transferring from the wheelchair. Such wheelchairs incorporate a mechanical or electromechanical system manipulated with levers or controls that move the seat from horizontal to a vertical or anteriorly sloping position while maintaining verticality of the legrests and backrest, thus extending the hips and knee joints. A full vertical standing position is achieved directly from sitting, or through gradual angle changes from a laying position, or a combination of either of these positions. Most wheelchair standers allow for full or partial extension of the hip and knee joints, and full upright or partially tilted positions.

Benefits of standing include:

• Improved functional reach to enable participation in ADLs (Activities of Daily Living)
• Enhanced independence and productivity
• Vital organ capacity is greatly improved
• Reduced occurrence of urinary tract infections
• Bone mineral density loss reduced or eliminated
• Improved circulation; reduced swelling in extremeties
• Reduced abnormal muscle tone and spasticity
• Occurrence of pressure sores reduced
• Diminished occurrence of skeletal deformities
• Enhanced physiological well being

Additional benefits of standing wheelchairs include: reduced fatigue, ability for some male patients to use public urinals, a reduction in the need for attendant care, reduced transfers and reduced home modifications.

One of the chairs Zack recommends to patients is the Permobil C500 VS.

For more information on standing wheelchairs, or other assitive technology devices, please contact Total Medical Solutions.

KCI, the leader in wound V.A.C. technology, has provided TMS statistics that show on average TMS discharges wound vac's faster than other workers' comp payers.

A wound vac is an expensive piece of equipment that helps promote wound healing. The sooner the wound heals, the faster the wound vac can be discharged and the lower the cost for the insurance carrier. TMS claimants heal more often in the first 30 days than ALL other workers' comp payers, according to KCI's statistics.

How does TMS do it?

TMS sends only certified wound care nurses and/or EXPERIENCED wound vac nurses. TMS can start wound vac services within 24 hours. TMS' cases are less likely to have a lapse in care or services due to close oversight and constant communication with all parties involved.

TMS claimants, on average, are on wound vac's a shorter time than other workers' comp payers which equals BIG SAVINGS for the carrier.

Learn more about wound vac's.