The SWHSI-2 Trial: Negative Pressure vs Standard Dressings for Healing Open Wounds

What's the best way to heal an open surgical wound? This week we're chatting with the SWHSI-II team, Catherine Arundel, Sam Swan and Sabeen Zahra, all about the SWHSI-2 trial, the award winning study which compared Negative Pressure Wound Therapy with traditional standard dressings to answer this question.

We go behind-the-scenes to hear about the trial’s highs and hurdles: blinded photo assessments, COVID interruptions, and smart solutions to recruitment challenges. Plus we find out the team's top tips for researchers undertaking similar projects.

Resources from this episode:

Find out more abou the SWHSI-II Trial here: https://www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences/research/trials/ytutrialsandstudies/trials/swhsi-2/#tab-2

Clinical Results paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00143-6
Trial Learning paper: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-025-01658-w

Cost effectiveness paper: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znaf077
Bluebelle (patient reported infection questionnaire) validation paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtv.2025.100889

Music by Matthew Bailey