J Wound Manag Res.  2025 Feb;21(1):18-22. 10.22467/jwmr.2024.03034.

The Relationship between Types of Wound Care and Length of Hospital Stay in Patients with Fournier’s Gangrene Treated in a Tertiary Hospital

• Dewantara AA
• Saputro ID
• Perdanakusuma DS

• KMID: 2565178
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22467/jwmr.2024.03034

Abstract

Background
Fournier’s gangrene (FG) is a rare, rapidly progressing necrotizing fasciitis affecting the perineum and external genitalia, characterized by polymicrobial infection, obliterative endarteritis, and subcutaneous arterial thrombosis. This study compares the impact of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) and non-VAC wound care on the length of hospital stay in FG patients treated at a tertiary hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Methods
A retrospective, cross-sectional study analyzed secondary data from 12 FG patients treated by the plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery department at a tertiary hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia, between May 2017 and April 2021.
Results
The study included patients aged 16 to 60 years (66.7%), with a mean age of 50.25 years. Diabetes mellitus was the most prevalent comorbidity (83.2%), followed by hypertension and hepatitis. Wound care included VAC in 83.2% of cases, with the remainder treated using non-VAC methods. Surgical interventions involved flap advancement (50.0%), bilateral medial thigh flap (33.3%), and skin grafts (16.7%). The mean hospital stay was 40.5 days. Mann-Whitney U test analysis revealed no significant correlation between the type of wound care (VAC or non-VAC) and hospital stay length (P<0.05).
Conclusion
There is no significant correlation between wound care type and length of hospital stay in FG patients treated at a tertiary hospital, suggesting other factors may more strongly influence hospitalization duration.

Keyword

Fournier gangrene; Wound therapy; Length of stay