Pressure Ulcer News and Research

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Pressure ulcers are commonly called bed sores or pressure sores. They are skin lesions that may also affect underlying tissues and are caused when the skin or the tissues are put under repeated and regular pressure or stress.

MEDIHONEY dressings effective in treating chronic wounds in children

Chronic, non-healing wounds can be a serious problem for children as many currently available treatment modalities can be too harsh or toxic. At the 2010 Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) and the Wound Healing Society (WHS), an international conference drawing clinicians from all over the globe which was held April 17-20 in Orlando, two clinicians presented case series illustrating the benefits of MEDIHONEY® dressings for this challenging patient population.

17 Apr 2010

New research identifies cellular channel that regulates skin and hair growth

Skin and hair follicles are constantly renewed in the body, maintained by specialized stem cells. New research from Children's Hospital Boston identifies a small cellular channel that regulates skin and hair growth and that could be targeted with small-molecule drugs, potentially treating variety of skin conditions, as well as thinning hair or unwanted hair growth. Findings appear in the April 16, 2010 issue of Cell.

16 Apr 2010

Tel Aviv University is bioengineering tissues as an alternative to animal testing

It's illegal for health products with medical formulations to be accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration without tests on animals ― a situation that has serious ethical and moral implications. New research in the field of tissue engineering by Prof. Amit Gefen of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Engineering holds a promise that far fewer lab animals will be needed for the necessary experimental trials.

15 Apr 2010

Updated Safe Practices for Better Healthcare manual

To improve the quality and safety of healthcare in the United States, the National Quality Forum is releasing its updated manual Safe Practices for Better Healthcare. The 34 Safe Practices outlined in the manual are tools to prevent healthcare errors and address common issues like healthcare-associated infections, medication errors, surgical errors, and pressure ulcers

9 Apr 2010

Reform promotes patient safety by creating payment incentives, making mistakes public

The Albany Times Union: "More than a million Americans are harmed each year as a result of their medical care — not their underlying condition — and an estimated 100,000 die. Another 100,000 people die from hospital-acquired infections. In addition to expanding coverage to the uninsured, the health reform law attacks the problem of medical errors on two fronts: It establishes new payment incentives for safer care, and makes some mistakes public."

2 Apr 2010

Patient-safety incidents: 10% died

Nearly one million patient-safety incidents occurred among Medicare patients over the years 2006, 2007, 2008, a figure virtually unchanged since last year's annual study of patient safety by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. In all, the incidents were associated with $8.9 billion in costs. One in ten patients -- 99,180 individuals -- experiencing a patient-safety incident died as a result, the study found.

1 Apr 2010

KCI launches V.A.C. ATS Therapy System in Japan

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. has announced the first patient placement of the company's innovative V.A.C.® ATS Therapy System in Japan. This landmark event represents the commercial launch of the therapy in Japan and the beginning of a comprehensive market development strategy in the country. V.A.C.® Therapy has treated more than three million patients in more than 50 countries worldwide and has been clinically proven in 20 randomized controlled trials and more than 550 peer-reviewed articles.

1 Apr 2010

New health care reform law includes patient safety provisions

While most of the attention surrounding the landmark health care reform measure just signed into law has focused on how it expands access to affordable insurance coverage, it also enacts important initiatives that will improve patient safety, according to Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

1 Apr 2010

WOCN Society launches campaign to raise awareness about benefits of specialized care

Patients and families who are dealing with conditions such as non-healing wounds, bedsores, bladder and bowel incontinence and ostomy-related issues contend with physical symptoms, as well as social and emotional side effects. The impact on patients and families can exact an enormous toll. The Wound Ostomy & Continence Nurses Society is launching a campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of specialized care.

31 Mar 2010

Royal Philips Electronics introduces Lifeline with AutoAlert solution

Royal Philips Electronics today introduced Lifeline with AutoAlert, an enhanced medical alert service. This integrated solution offers an added layer of protection by combining the industry-leading Philips Lifeline medical alert service with automatic fall detection capabilities.

From Philips Healthcare 23 Mar 2010

National, state efforts seek to reduce medical errors

The Wall Street Journal: "Errors made by doctors, nurses and other medical caregivers cause 44,000 to 98,000 deaths a year. Hospital infections, many considered preventable, take another 100,000 lives. ... Hospitals are taking what might seem like a surprising approach to confronting the problem: Not only are they trying to improve safety and reduce malpractice claims, they're also coming up with procedures for handling—and even consoling—staffers who make inadvertent mistakes."

16 Mar 2010

New wound care teleassistance service launched

A new service is being launched today: wound care teleassistance, also known as téléassistance en soins de plaies (TASP). With this service a nurse can use a camera to film her patient's wound, while at the same time an expert nurse in another institution can receive the images. They can then hold an online discussion to evaluate the patient's wound and plan treatment.

18 Feb 2010

2010 WOCN/WCET Joint Conference focusing on patient care to be held in Phoenix

Healthcare professionals who specialize in wound, ostomy and/or continence care will have the opportunity to participate in a groundbreaking conference that combines the expertise of two premier wound, ostomy and continence associations, The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society and The World Council of Enterostomal Therapists.

16 Feb 2010

Innovative nerve graft transplant successful in treatment and prevention of posterior pressure ulcers

The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that an innovative nerve graft transplant performed by Dr. Andrew Elkwood has proven to be successful in treating and preventing posterior pressure ulcers – one of the leading causes of mortality among paraplegics. 49-year old Tory Cavalieri, who underwent the procedure last January, has regained sensation in his posterior and is free of acute pressure sores, which had left him bedridden for years.

9 Feb 2010

New Patient Safety Checklists introduced to reduce fatal medical errors

Surgical safety checklists have been shown to be very effective in significantly reducing fatal medical errors when used by surgeons and members of the surgical team.

30 Jan 2010

New methods to help elderly dementia patients regain their eating skills

A pioneering international study involving academics from the University of Sheffield has shown for the first time that it is possible to improve the eating skills and nutritional status of older people with dementia.

29 Jan 2010

Infections in Pennsylvania hospitals lower than national average, errors also down in Minn.

"The rates of two common hospital-acquired infections in Pennsylvania hospitals were lower than rates at hospitals elsewhere in the United States, according to the first report on infections issued Tuesday by the state Department of Health."

18 Jan 2010

HFU increases mortality among diabetics, says report

Cardium Therapeutics today reported on recent clinical findings published in the December issue of Diabetes Care showing an increase in mortality in diabetic patients with a history of foot ulcer (HFU) compared with diabetic patients without HFU and with non-diabetic patients.

17 Dec 2009

FDA grants marketing approval for EnzySurge's new SilverStream solution for prescription use

EnzySurge Ltd. (EnzySurge), a provider of innovative solutions for the advanced chronic wound management market, announced today that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its new SilverStream(TM) solution for prescription use. The FDA also cleared DermaSept, an Over-the-Counter version of the SilverStream product.

15 Dec 2009

Wound Management Technologies to market CellerateRx within the U.S.

Wound Management Technologies, Inc., a rapidly growing provider of specialty medical products, announced today an agreement with the Health Industry Representative Association (HIRA) to serve as a non-exclusive independent sales and marketing representative to market the company's core CellerateRx® product within the U.S.

4 Dec 2009