Current Issue

Accumulation of Silver and Delayed Re-epithelialization in Normal Human Skin: An ex-vivo Study of Different Silver Dressings

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:57:04 -0400

Abstract: Silver is commonly used in wound dressings and topical formulations to assist in the management of wounds that are infected or at risk of becoming infected. They provide potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, but should not cause sustained staining of the skin, dermal or systemic accumulation of silver, or discomfort to the patient. However, clinicians and healthcare personnel have been concerned about topical staining of the skin and complaints of additional pain from patients treated with certain silver dressings. Some delay in re-epithelialization has also been notic

Lower Extremity Fascial Reconstruction Using an Acellular Dermal Matrix Graft

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:20:54 -0400

Abstract: Background. AlloDerm® acellular dermal matrix ([ADM], Lifecell Corp, Branchburg, NJ) is gaining increasing popularity in virtually every surgical subspecialty for use in the closure of soft tissue defects, structural support, or tissue augmentation. There is limited experience in lower extremity fascial reconstruction secondary to trauma, as this can be a challenging problem for the plastic surgeon. The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate the reliability of acellular dermal matrix grafts in lower extremity fascial reconstructions. Methods. We present a patient who u

Development and Implementation of a Clinical Pathway To Improve Venous Leg Ulcer Treatment

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:37:35 -0400

Abstract: A clinical pathway (CP) was developed and implemented to improve treatment outcomes for patients with venous leg ulcers. The CP and products (Rosidal® sys, Suprasorb® A, Suprasorb® P, and Suprasorb® C, Lohmann & Rauscher GmbH, Rengsdorf, Germany) were tested by case evaluation. Patients from the center were examined to determine his or her general condition, associated factors, wound type and stage, wound evolution, quality of life (QOL), treatment efficacy, and costs. Patients with venous leg ulceration (N = 20) were recruited to the clinical evaluation. Examination was p

Synergism in Using NPWT With Alternated Applications of Autologous Platelet-derived Growth Factors

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:55:23 -0400

Abstract: Chronic and acute wounds with long tunneling or undermining are always a challenge to wound care providers. One of the most frequently employed treatments for closing tunneled or undermined wounds is negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). The benefits of this treatment system are widely discussed in the professional literature, and will not be covered here. Even though NPWT allows for faster wound healing initially, in some cases, progress to wound closure is limited and healing stops after reaching a maximum potential, which may occur after just a few weeks. This adverse phe

The Virtue of Patients

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:58:49 -0400

Dear Readers,
It is the individual patient who we treat, not the disease.1

We are all familiar with the adage, “Patience is a virtue,” but in the field of medicine, “patients are a virtue.” Yes, without patients we would have little to do. In wound care, patients seek our help to improve or cure a variety of maladies usually related to a poorly healing wound. When patients are first seen, we obtain some relevant information called a history, then we focus our attention on the “hole in the patient.” Within a matter of minutes we ha

Industry News May 2009

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:03:30 -0400

Healthpoint Initiates Study to Evaluate Cell Based Therapy’s Effectiveness

Healthpoint (Fort Worth, Tex) recently announced that it has initiated a Phase II clinical trial investigating the efficacy of HP802-247 in venous leg ulcers. HP802-247 is a topical spray containing living keratinocytes and fibroblasts. The study is designed to determine the effectiveness of two cell concentrations and two dosing frequencies of HP802-247 when combined with standard care compared to placebo plus standard care in healing venous leg ulcers over a 12-week treatment period.

Product News May 2009

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:08:52 -0400

ConvaTec Introduces Engenex® Advanced Negative Pressure Wound Therapy System with Bio-Dome™ Technology

ConvaTec’s (Skillman, NJ) new Engenex® Advanced Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) System was designed specifically for the application of negative pressure of wounds to promote wound healing and for the removal of fluids, including wound exudate, irrigation fluids, body fluids, and infectious materials.

The new system features Bio-Dome™ Technology and has five distinct components: a wound interface (Bio-Dome™ Standard and

Tom Dugan, President of Smith & Nephew’s North American Advanced Wound Management Division

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:28:53 -0400

In September 2008, Tom Dugan became the President for Smith & Nephew’s North American Advanced Wound Management Division (St. Petersburg, Fla). Tom joined the company and wound care market with an impressive 28 years of medical device experience. He began his career working for Johnson & Johnson’s Critikon division. Following several sales, marketing, and corporate management positions, Tom became Senior VP for SonoSite (Bothell, Wa), the worldwide leader in hand-carried ultrasound. Wearing multiple entrepreneurial hats, Tom was responsible for the company’s US busine