All articles by Staff Writer
Staff Writer
From art to science
The prevalence of chronic wounds is on the rise in the developed world. This is due to its population living longer and an increase in the rate of conditions like diabetes mellitus – one of the most common reasons the body might struggle to regenerate tissue after sustaining a wound. The European Wound Management Association has been at the forefront of defining good wound management practices since its inception in 1991, and ahead of its upcoming conference, the organisation’s president Sebastian Probst tells Peter Littlejohns why wound care is still in a transitional phase from an art to a science.
Cause and effect
Due to the high prevalence of diabetes, much of the academic literature on wound care is centred around how it affects the pathogenesis of chronic wounds and how healthcare professionals should go about treating them. But diabetes is one of many reasons the human body might struggle to heal from damage to one or more layers of the skin. Sarah Harris speaks to Naseer Ahmad, vascular surgeon and clinic director of the Manchester Amputation Reduction Strategy and Chandan Sen, associate vice-president of military & applied research at Indiana University’s School of Medicine, to explore the comorbid conditions that prevent wounds from healing, and the strain this puts on healthcare systems.
Diabetic foot ulcers
Diabetic foot ulcers have the potential to carry a huge cost, both to patients – who can end up losing part of their lower limb – and to hospitals through the expenditure used in managing them. We could be on the cusp of a turning point, however, with a variety of researchers reporting successful outcomes from a new ‘fast-track pathway’, designed to diagnose and treat this type of chronic wound quickly. Andrea Valentino learns more, talking to Dr José Luis Lázaro-Martínez, an expert in podiatric medicine and professor at Complutense University of Madrid; and Dr Marco Meloni of the University of Tor Vergata.
Sky Medical Technology: New study demonstrates double the rate of healing of venous leg ulcers with the geko™ device
UK-based medical device manufacturer Sky Medical Technology (Sky) today announces the International Wound Journal has published the company’s landmark multi-centre randomised self-controlled trial (RCT).
Innovation in wound care could save organisations time and money
With the average heal time of a chronic wound taking over five months med tech firm Smith + Nephew offers smart cost and time management solutions
A targeted diagnosis of acute gastroenteritis
Accurate diagnosis of gastroenteritis is paramount, given that it is highly infectious and poses health risks to the young and old alike. With molecular diagnostic techniques, like those in BD’s portfolio, gastroenteritis diagnosis can be performed quickly, and help allow for the prevention of its spread and the improvement of health.
Four steps to make your diagnostics a masterpiece
Although microbiology laboratories have witnessed a surge in molecular biology techniques over the last few years, bacterial culturing still offers unmatchable advantages, especially when the most advanced tools are implemented. By addressing bacteriology preanalytics in four steps, Copan’s WISE approach leads to improved diagnostics for every lab.
Stop the cascade
Sepsis is a leading cause of death in hospitals, and yet, there’s very little in the way of treatment that can dramatically increase the odds of survival. A key reason for this is that identifying the pathogen that caused the disease takes time and that’s a luxury that patients don’t have. Peter Littlejohns speaks to Donald Ingber, founding director of Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and Michael Super, senior staff scientist, Wyss Institute, to find out how a research journey spanning almost two decades resulted in technology that could lead to quicker diagnosis and treatment for patients with sepsis.
kerecis combines fish-skin graft and silicone cover for wound treatment
New product and results of clinical study announced at SAWC
Kerecis® today announced MariGen® Shield, which integrates the company’s proven fish-skin graft with a silicone contact layer for treating chronic and complex wounds. The medical-fish-skin company also announced the results of a clinical study comparing the effectiveness of the Kerecis fish-skin grafts to a standard of care for diabetic foot ulcers. Both announcements were made at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC). Kerecis, which is pioneering the use of sustainably sourced fish skin and fatty acids in cellular therapy and tissue regeneration and protection, is exhibiting at booth 225.
Combat tuberculosis
In order to assist the World Health Organisation’s ‘End TB Strategy’ with the goal of reducing the global incidence of tuberculosis by 80% in 2030, detecting latent TB infection is key. From the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy, Dr Edoardo Carretto discusses the role of Oxford Immunotec’s T-SPOT.TB test in tackling cases of LTBI to help eradicate TB in the province.