A Retrospective Health Economic Analysis of a Stable Hypochlorous Acid Preserved Wound Cleanser Versus 0.9% Saline Solution as Instillation for Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy in Severe and Infected Wounds

Introduction Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with instillation and dwell time is an accepted adjunct therapy for infected wounds. A study was conducted to assess whether the use of hypochlorous acid preserved wound cleanser (HAPWOC) (Vashe, Urgo Medical North America, Fort Worth, TX, USA) as the irrigant would reduce the cost of care in comparison to 0.9% saline (NaCl). Method A comparative, observational, retrospective analysis assessed 27 serious and infected wounds in 24 patients. The lesions were of different and complex etiologies, including necrotizing fasciitis and stage IV diabetic foot ulcers. NPWT was used as part of the overall multimodal treatment regimen. The only variance in the treatment protocol was the use of saline (N=8) or HAPWOC (N=19) as the irrigant. Results When compared to NaCl, wounds treated with HAPWOC trended toward fewer operating room (OR) visits versus NaCl (3.3 versus 4.1) and a shorter length of hospital stay (LOS) (24.3 days versus 37.9 days). The Orlando Health Transparency guide shows the cost of OR debridement as $2,525. Thus, debridement for HAPWOC-treated wounds ($8,332) costs $2,020 (24%) less than for NaCl-treated wounds ($10,352). Using the 2016 Kaiser Health data (average daily hospital cost, excludingall interventions: $2,052), the cost of HAPWOC and NaCl instill translates to $49,864 and $77,771, respectively, a difference of $27,906 (56%) more for NaCl treatment. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 2012 data indicate an average daily cost of hospital stay, including all interventions, of $10,400. Thus, HAPWOC treatment cost translates to $252,720 versus NaCl-related costs of $394,160; in these calculations, using NaCl costs $141.440 (+56%) more per patient than HAPWOC. Conclusion The use of NPWT with HAPWOC versus NaCl as instillation in NPWT reduces the number of visits to the operating room and LOS. This has a significant impact on lowering the cost of care when HAPWOC is used.