Month: June 2021

From the Editors’ Desk

Over the last year, COVID-19 has forced healthcare professionals to rapidly change the way they think and practice. This includes quickly assessing patients and reevaluating clinical situations with new eyes for optimal resource utilization and effective patient care options. Some facilities have reassigned professional personnel, and the entire industry has had to rethink traditional clinical paradigms … read more

Dr. Alisa Savetamal Presents the Health Economics of Allograft VS

In this webinar Alisa Savetamal, MD FACS will present the health economics of allograft vs. NovoSorb BTM. She will review two patients with full thickness injuries to both legs. Each patient received serial allograft applications on one leg and BTM on the other. This presentation will review the economics of the entire patient experience including product cost, repeat OR cost, impact on the surgeon, and impact on the patient throughout the healing process. This presentation was originally scheduled during ABA 2020 … read more

New research a ‘step change’ for diabetes patients

Millions of people with diabetes are at risk of developing foot ulcers, which often lead to amputations and other health complications. Now, Scientists from the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies (CRBT) have developed a new method to reliably detect this risk without the need for complex electronic in-shoe sensors … read more

How can we deliver oxygen to wounds?

How does oxygen work in wound healing? We are all familiar with how necessary oxygen is for life in general. A few minutes of holding your breath (if you can last that long) proves the point quickly. We are taught the basics of how oxygen is important for essential processes such as energy conversion in the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) cycle, yet not typically processes in which oxygen plays a critical role in wound healing … read more

New Feature in Wound Care Software Fills Patients’ Shopping Carts with Physician-Recommended Nutrition

Wound care physicians often struggle to ensure patients receive the proper nutrition to accelerate wound healing. Intellicure is fighting that struggle by providing physicians unique tools that place recommended nutritional supplements in the hands of patients … Intellicure already automated the prescribing and ordering of medications and durable medical equipment inside its wound care EHR and its recently released SMART wound care app. However, certain nutritional supplements that are clinically proven to support wound management in some patients are sold over the counter. Often these supplement names and quantities are written down for the patient to purchase on their own time, leaving the physician to wonder if the patient ordered the correct products and quantities needed for a speedy recovery … read more

Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) in the Microbiological Diagnostic of Deep Sternal Wound Infection (DSWI)

Postoperative mediastinitis after cardiac surgery is still a devastating complication. Insufficient microbiological specimens obtained by superficial swabbing may only detect bacteria on the surface, but pathogens that are localized in the deep tissue may be missed. The aim of this study was to analyze deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) samples by conventional microbiological procedures and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in order to discuss a diagnostic benefit of the culture-independent methods and to map spatial organization of pathogens and microbial biofilms in the wounds … –

Swift Medical launches integrated digital wound care solution with Homecare Homebase

Homecare Homebase (HCHB), the nation’s #1 software for home health and hospice, is partnering with global digital wound care leader Swift Medical to provide high-quality, cost efficient care through an integrated solution. Through this expanded partnership, Swift Medical becomes the exclusively preferred wound care technology partner for HCHB, with an enhanced integration offering to streamline workflows and eliminate double documentation … read more

Debridement

In the English language, the word debridement is used in the specific sense of cleaning a wound of infected, potentially infected, necrotic (dead), eschar (Figure 1), or foreign material (such as fragments of old dressings). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the word is not used in any other context in English. The word debridement comes from the French language and is even pronounced in English as a French word (de-breed-ment), where it means taking a bridle (the head straps that hold the mouthpiece in place) off a horse … read more

Negative pressure wound therapy for open traumatic wounds

Traumatic wounds (wounds caused by injury) range from abrasions and minor skin incisions or tears, to wounds with extensive tissue damage or loss as well as damage to bone and internal organs. Two key types of traumatic wounds considered in this review are those that damage soft tissue only and those that involve a broken bone, that is, open fractures. In some cases these wounds are left open and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is used as a treatment. This medical device involves the application of a wound dressing through which negative pressure is applied and tissue fluid drawn away from the area. The treatment aims to support wound management, to prepare wounds for further surgery, to reduce the risk of infection and potentially to reduce time to healing … read more

Refractory Wounds: Systemic Factors Affecting Repair – Extrinsic Factors (Part 2 of 4)

Refractory wounds are a significant worldwide health problem, affecting 5 to 7 million people per year in the United States alone, as discussed in a prior blog. Wounds that fail to heal not only impact quality of life, but also impose a significant physical, psychosocial, and financial burden. Additionally, individuals with refractory wounds often experience significant morbidity and sometimes mortality. Wound infections and amputations are common in this population, and chronic conditions often exist as well … read more

A Compendium of Perspectives on Diabetes: A Challenge for Sustainable Health in the Modern Era

Diabetes is a chronic illness. Hyperglycemia is the characteristic of this disorder. Diabetes is a global crisis which affects the economy and health of all nations. Over the last decades, the number of individuals living with diabetes has significantly increased worldwide. Asia is a key epicenter of the emerging diabetes epidemic, with China and India the two nations having the highest number of diabetic people. Economic development, modernization, unhealthy diet, population aging, and sedentary lifestyles are the major factors responsible for the increasing diabetes epidemic. Diabetes is associated with several complications, and cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality among people with diabetes. These life-threatening problems can be prevented or delayed by proper management of diabetes. Lifestyle modification is an important factor to decrease the diabetes risk. The frequency of diabetic complications will rise if there is a lack of cost-effective and sustainable interventions. Hence, prevention of diabetes and its complications such as diabetic retinopathy and cardiovascular disease … read more

Wound Odor

Wound odor, also referred to as malodor, is typically the result of necrotic tissue or bacterial colonization in the wound bed. Certain dressings like hydrocolloids, also tend to produce a characteristic odor as a result of the chemical reaction that takes place between the dressing and wound exudate, causing odor. While not directly harmful to the patient, wound odor is often indicative of bioburden or other barriers to wound healing. In addition, the psychological effects of malodorous wounds on the patient, relatives, or caregiver can be significant … read more

2,000,000 TWO2 Treatments Milestone Reached as TWO2 Study Is Highlighted in Systemic Review of Topical Oxygen Therapies

“This is another enormous milestone for our company and a testament to the ease-of use and durable clinical efficacy of TWO2 therapy, as well as to the tenacity of our entire dedicated care team. AOTI is proud to have been able to help heal the Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Venous Leg Ulcers of so many high-risk patients safely at home. Effective homecare therapeutics, such as provided by TWO2, have become vital in maintaining continuity-of-care by caregivers for their patients, especially during the recent COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Dr. Mike Griffiths, CEO and Medical Director of AOTI … read more

Refractory Wounds: Etiologic Factors and Management (a Four-Part Series)

Refractory wounds comprise a significant worldwide health problem, affecting 5 to 7 million people per year in the United States alone. Wounds that fail to heal not only impact quality of life but also impose a significant physical, psychosocial, and financial burden. Additionally, individuals with refractory wounds often experience significant morbidity and sometimes mortality. Wound infections and amputations are common in this population, and chronic conditions often exist as well … read more

Adding a Hypochlorous Acid-Preserved Wound Cleanser to the Pressure Injury Management Toolbox: A Case Series

Pressure injuries (PIs) can impair quality of life, and the goal of management is to create an optimal local wound healing environment. PIs can be difficult to manage and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Wound cleansing is a routine part of managing these wounds and can aid in the removal of exudate, debris, and contaminants.3 PIs located on the sacrum or ischium are at high risk of infection due to exposure to urine and feces; for these wounds, regular cleansing is extremely important … read more

A Rare Case of Invasive Keratinizing Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Foot

In general, there are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common primary skin cancer amongst these, and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer. Sun-exposed areas are the most common site and mainly affect Caucasians. cSCC involving the lower leg and anogenital region have been more commonly associated with dark skin. It is of utmost importance to regularly monitor chronic wounds. The conversion from an ulcer to malignancy is usually a slow process and the exact pathogenesis is yet to be definitively known. It was Marjolin who, in 1827, first reported this process when he noted a malignant change in a chronic ulceration. cSCC is the most common secondary skin cancer noted to arise in chronic wounds, burn scars, trauma, and following radio necrosis … read more

Antibacterial Effect and Promoting of Skin Wound Healing After Infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus for the Novel Polyvinyl Nanoparticles

Wounds represent a serious, and often overlooked, health problem in the global world. Importantly, if left untreated, several complications arise including infection, amputation, and long-term morbidity. The wound treatment has placed a massive financial burden on the health-care system, with serious and disturbing consequences for the affected patients. The development of new treatments that enhance the wound healing process and prevent, or limit, scarring is needed. Impaired wound healing is characterized by a loss of synchronization of the molecular interactions required for skin tissue repair.4 Six million patients a year are affected by wounds, costing the health-care system an estimated $25 billion dollars. Wound infection is the most common impediment to wound healing, leading to increase the morbidity and mortality among patients … read more

Emerging Roles of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most widespread metabolic diseases in the world, and diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), as one of its chronic complications, not only causes a large amount of physiological and psychological pain to patients but also places a tremendous burden on the entire economy and society. Despite significant advances in knowledge on the mechanism and in the treatment of DFU, clinical practice is still not satisfactory, and our understanding of its cellular and molecular pathogenesis is far from complete. Fortunately, progress in studying the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which play important regulatory roles in the expression of genes at multiple levels, suggests that we can apply them in the early diagnosis and potential targeted intervention of DFU. In this review, we briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding the functional roles and potential mechanisms of reported lncRNAs in regulating DFU … read more

Wound Healing Activity of Opuntia ficus-indica Fixed Oil Formulated in a Self-Nanoemulsifying Formulation

Delayed wound healing represents a common health hazard. Traditional herbal products have been often utilized to promote wound contraction. The current study aimed at assessing the wound healing activity of Opuntia ficus-indica seed oil (OFI) and its self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (OFI-SNEDDS) formula in a rat model of full-thickness skin excision.
Methods: Based on droplet size, an optimized OFI-SNEDDS formula was prepared and used for subsequent evaluation. Wound healing activity of OFI and OFI-SNEDDS was studied in vivo.
Results: The optimized OFI-SNEDDS formula droplet size was 50.02 nm. The formula exhibited superior healing activities as compared to regular OFI seed oil-treated rats at day 14 of wounding. This effect was further confirmed by histopathological examinations of H&E and Masson’s Trichrome-stained skin sections. Moreover, OFI-SNEDDS showed the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities as compared to OFI seed oil-treated animals. Both OFI and OFI-SNEDDS significantly enhanced hydroxyproline skin content and upregulated Col1A1 mRNA expression … read more

Hydrosurgical Debridement Use Associated With Decreased Surgical Site-Related Readmissions: A Retrospective Analysis

Debridement is the cornerstone of wound care management. It allows for the removal of fibrinous and necrotic debris from the wound bed as well as the reduction of bacterial bioburden, thus allowing for proper granulation and wound healing. Hydrosurgical debridement uses a controlled, high-pressure fluid jet to cut and remove necrotic debris, contaminants, and bacteria, thereby facilitating a potentially more aggressive debridement. Objective. The efficacy of this system was compared with that of other methods of debridement in reducing … read more

FDA clears Koya Medical’s Dayspring compression system for lower extremities

Koya Medical announced today that it has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its active compression therapy system Dayspring for the treatment of lymphoedema and venous diseases that impact lymphatic flow in the lower extremities. The company also announced the appointments of three veteran executives to its leadership team to support commercialisation … read more

Vital Role of Wound Care Imaging Technology in HealthTech

Wound care technology is digital, which corresponds to the digital distribution of medical records. Wound treatment documentation can now be uploaded to EHRs for unified treatment across all providers involved in a patient’s recovery process … Wound care is vital to the overall healthcare industry, clinicians, and patients. It is crucial to diagnose a wound with pinpoint accuracy and document healing, infection, and other important wound care parameters. Wound care imaging technology has been developed by innovators using technology and clinical knowledge … read more

First Patient Enrolled in Restrata® Randomized Controlled Trial

Acera Surgical, Inc. (Acera), a leading bioscience company developing and commercializing a portfolio of fully synthetic materials for regenerative medical applications, today announced its first patient enrollment in a clinical study evaluating Restrata, Acera’s leading wound care product, for the treatment of non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The study will generate level 1 clinical evidence to support coverage and reimbursement from US health insurers for Restrata’s use in outpatient wound clinics and physician office settings … Non-healing foot ulcers are among the most debilitating outcomes affecting people with diabetes in the United States. Roughly 1 out of 3 people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer over the course of their lifetime1. More than 50% of diabetic foot ulcers become infected, and roughly 20% of diabetic foot infections result in amputation. That means that almost every 20 seconds, a lower limb is amputated due to complications associated with diabetes2. In the United States, an estimated $237 billion is spent annually on direct costs for diabetes, and as much as one third of that will be spent to treat lower extremity complications3 … read more

2,000,000 TWO2 Treatments Milestone Reached as TWO2 Study Is Highlighted in Systemic Review of Topical Oxygen Therapies

“This is another enormous milestone for our company and a testament to the ease-of use and durable clinical efficacy of TWO2 therapy, as well as to the tenacity of our entire dedicated care team. AOTI is proud to have been able to help heal the Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Venous Leg Ulcers of so many high-risk patients safely at home. Effective homecare therapeutics, such as provided by TWO2, have become vital in maintaining continuity-of-care by caregivers for their patients, especially during the recent COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Dr. Mike Griffiths, CEO and Medical Director of AOTI … read more

Beating Biofilm Is Key to Fighting Surgical Infections

Health care is at a perilous crossroads. “[D]eaths from drug-resistant infections are set to skyrocket to over 10 million per year worldwide and could cost the global economy as much as $100 trillion by 2050,” a STATISTICA article reports. The same concerning fact is stressed by United States public health officials, who agree that “antimicrobial resistant pathogens (AMR) threaten everyone”.Both reports suggest a grim future of consequences from bacterial resistance, with U.S. officials believing AMR is occurring at a rate of more than 2.8 million antibiotic resistant infections in the U.S. each year, ending in a heavy economic price and over 35,000 deaths annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes “no one can completely avoid the risk of resistant infections, with some people at greater risk than others.” Eye-opening research suggests at least 80% of these infections are biofilm related … read more

Wound-specific Bacteria May Be Targets for DEB Treatment

A distinct set of bacteria colonizes the skin in and around wounds in people with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), according to a new study … The finding suggests that these patients may benefit from therapies that specifically target those bacteria and that encourage the growth of non wound-associated bacteria instead … The study, “Evidence for cutaneous dysbiosis in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa,” was published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology … read more

Breaking the Barrier: An Innovative Approach to Mature Biofilm

Addressing skin and wound bioburden is of utmost importance to wound care clinicians. The tendency of microorganisms to develop biofilms within a wound has been well documented in the literature. A recent meta-analysis underscored the presence of biofilm in 78.2% of chronic wounds. Biofilms may lead to chronic infection and impact wound healing by perpetuation of the inflammatory phase. Contrasting with free-floating, acutely infectious planktonic microorganisms, a biofilm is an aggregated colony of bacteria, usually of multiple species, that produces a protective EPS and establishes its own microenvironment that is conducive to survival. The biofilm and its surrounding EPS mature over time … read more

Factors Associated With Healing of Diabetes-Related Foot Ulcers: Observations From a Large Prospective Real-World Cohort

Diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFUs) affect around 20 million people annually and are a leading cause of the global disability burden (1). DFUs are complex to treat, take months to heal, result in poorer quality of life, and place patients at high risk of hospitalization and amputation. Thus, understanding the influence that different factors have on healing of DFUs is vital … read more

A new approach to understanding the biology of wound healing

Our bodies frequently heal wounds, like a cut or a scrape, on their own. However patients with diabetes, vascular disease, and skin disorders, sometimes have difficulty healing. This can lead to chronic wounds, which can severely impact quality of life. The management of chronic wounds is a major cost to healthcare systems, with the U.S alone spending an estimated 10-20 billion dollars per year. Still, we know very little about why some wounds become chronic, making it hard to develop effective therapeutics to promote healing. New research from Jefferson describes a novel way to sample the cells found at wounds – using discarded wound dressings. This non-invasive approach opens a window into the cellular composition of wounds, and an opportunity to identify characteristics of wounds likely to heal versus those that become chronic, as well as inform the development of targeted therapies … read more

The Foot & Ankle Treatment Center Joins Illinois Bone & Joint Institute

DES PLAINES, Ill., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI), the largest independent, physician-owned orthopedic practice in Illinois, welcomes Dr. Bruce Noxon and Dr. Paul Goodman, of The Foot & Ankle Treatment Center, to our practice as of June 1, 2021. Dr. Goodman and Dr. Noxon will continue to provide the same high-quality, affordable care for Glenview and the neighboring communities as they have for the last 22 years, now as part of the expert team of IBJI podiatrists and foot and ankle specialists … read more

AUSTRALIAN WOUND IRRIGATION DEVICE CLEARED BY FDA

On April 23, 2021, the FDA notified the company that its single step application wound irrigation solution, XPERIENCE No Rinse Antimicrobial Solution, has been 510(k) cleared in the U.S. for immediate distribution. The device was originally submitted to the FDA as MIS Solution but is now being marketed as XPERIENCE.

The company says the residual solution remains in the surgical site after closure and, “continues to help defend against pathogens for several hours, giving surgeons a simple and effective adjunct to help prevent surgical site and post-operative infections.” … read more