Press Release
Best in Class: Scottsdale Wound Management Guide
Comprehensive pocket handbook offers differential diagnosis and treatment options at your fingertips
Malvern, PA (June 8, 2009) – Proper wound care management has become one of the top concerns for many clinicians across various medical specialties. Treatment is specific to the wound type, the patient and the long-term care plan and requires ongoing assessment. Read More
2009 WOUNDS Article Index
Feature
Skin Substitutes in Burn Care
Large surface area burns continue to be one of the most difficult and deadly problems the medical community faces today. Although major strides have been made in burn care throughout the years, many difficulties remain. Historically, some rather bizarre and egregious concoctions, at least by modern standards, have been applied to burns to promote healing. Barbara Ravage, author of Burn Unit, records and describes fascinating unguents and emollients that include using calf dung and black mud as topical burn treatments, as recorded in the Ebers Papyrus from the 1500s BC.1
Successful Treatment of Recalcitrant, Diabetic Heel Ulcers with Topical Becaplermin (rhPDGF-BB) Gel
Introduction
Diabetic foot ulceration is a major complication of diabetes mellitus.1–5 Among the 10 to 15 million diabetic patients, two to three percent will develop foot ulcers each year, and approximately 15 percent will develop foot ulcers during their lifetimes.4,6–8 The four percent of the US population with diagnosed diabetes mellitus constitute 46 percent of the approximately 162,500 annual hospitalizations for foot ulcers.4,7 Foot ulcers precede 85 percent of all nontraumatic, lower-limb amputations, and half of all nontraumatic, lower-limb amputations in
Peripheral Arterial Perfusion: Is it Adequate for Wound Healing?
More than 8 million Americans are affected by peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD).1 The presence of PAOD can seriously inhibit the ability of a lower extremity ulceration to heal. Many wounds will not heal unless adequate arterial perfusion is reestablished. Traditionally, revascularization was achieved by open surgical bypass,2 but recent advances in percutaneous angioplasty and stenting techniques have provided new options. These innovations offer promising new treatment alternatives for those patients who were previously considered unsuitab
Coumadin-Induced Skin Necrosis
Introduction
Coumadin-induced skin necrosis (CISN) is a rare, unusual, and unpredictable integumentary complication of anticoagulant therapy. Also known as warfarin-induced skin necrosis (WISN), the dermatologic complication occurs in 0.01 to 0.1 percent of warfarin-treated patients. As anticoagulation is a component of therapy for many major chronic illnesses, recognition of the condition is crucial for prompt intervention in clinical practice. The syndrome also can result in substantial morbidity and possible fatality. This article addresses the historical background, pathogenesis, clinic
Evaluation of Platelet-Derived Growth Factor in a Rat Model of Ischemic Skin Wound Healing
Introduction
Chronic wounds affect an estimated two million people in the United States and are a major socioeconomic burden to the patient and the healthcare system, resulting in an estimated yearly expenditure of upwards of $3 billion.[1] The basic foundation for good wound care involves eliminating exacerbating factors, such as localized pressure in pressure ulcers and diabetic foot wounds and edema in chronic venous stasis ulcers. Standard wound care procedures include wound debridement, the use of dressings to maintain a moist environment, and topical antimicrobial agents when needed t
A Brief Historical Review of Flaps and Burn Reconstruction
“We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours.”
—John of Salisbury, 1159 AD
Classic Examples of Flap and Burn Reconstruction
Perhaps one of the earliest and most notable fla
A Cost Analysis of a Living Skin Equivalent in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Introduction
It is estimated that 15 percent of patients with diabetes will develop foot ulcers and that 15 to 20 percent of those will progress to lower-extremity amputation.1,2 Indeed, it has been reported that foot ulcers precede 85 percent of all nontraumatic, lower-extremity amputations.3 The cost of treating diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) is reported to range between $4,000.00 to $8,000.00 per ulcer episode and almost $28,000.00 over the first two years after diagnosis.1,3 The attributable cost of amputations is estimated at between $20,000.00 to $60,000.00.2,3
History of Metabolic Treatments in Burn Care
Throughout the latter portion of the 20th century, major developments and advances within the specialty of burn care have been made. Several interventions and developments in reducing energy demands following burns have played a role in attenuating the metabolic response and reducing energy requirements. As a result, long-term function and prognosis have greatly improved. These interventions include early burn excision and wound closure with skin grafts or substitutes, early and aggressive enteral feeding, elevating environmental temperature to thermal neutrality, and pharmacological therapie
Closure of Partial-Thickness Facial Burns with a Bioactive Skin Substitute in the Major Burn Population Decreases the Cost of Ca
Introduction
Management of partial-thickness burns of the face requires extensive healthcare resources, especially in the endotracheal-intubated patient, to control pain, avoid infection, and minimize scarring.1-4
Standard care for partial-thickness burns is the frequent application of antibiotic ointments and cleansing to avoid exudate buildup and infection.3,4 This process is not only time consuming but requires considerable analgesia and involves the potential for endotracheal tube dislodgement with patient movement.
Immediate wound closure of the partial-thickness facial burn can
Assessment of a Wound Cleansing Solution in the Treatment of Problem Wounds
Problem wounds are rarely affected by a single factor.1 Delay in closure of a wound can result from problems such as poor perfusion, infection, pressure, and chronic venous hypertension.
To support wound healing, systemic factors and local factors should be addressed.1–4 Local barriers to healing must be removed before attempting wound closure.
Sometimes a wound may present as healthy and granulating and yet does not heal. This could be due to the wound bed containing nonviable (senescent) cells or cells of the wrong phenotype. In either cas
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Education
ON-DEMAND WEBCAST - How Advanced Wound Dressing Technology Helps Progress Chronic Wound Healing
Non-Accredited
Taking the Complexity Out of Diabetic Foot Management - Complimentary On-Demand Webcast
Non-Accredited
Simple Steps in Wound Healing to Achieve Success for Your Patients and Practice - Complimentary On-Demand Webcast
Non-Accredited
CLINICAL EVENTS CALENDAR
- Wound Clinic Business MeetingStart Date:October 8, 2010End Date:October 8, 2010
Cincinnati, OH
- SAWC/WHS Spring 2011
- SAWC FallStart Date:September 23, 2010End Date:September 25, 2010
Anaheim Convention Center
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