The Conferee - Sept 2011

More Outpatient Management of Burns Possible

By Matt Young Conferee writer

“ One boy had a skull burn

to his face. After Aquacel Ag dressing, he was sent home to his mother with pain medications.

– Kevin Foster, M.D.

managed in an outpatient setting.

“One boy had a skull burn to his face,” Dr. Foster said. “After Aquacel Ag dressing, he was sent home to his mother with pain medications. Aquacel Ag looked a little grungy, but that was perfectly normal. By postoperative day 10 the burn was well healed and he was managed completely as an outpatient.”

”

Photo by Dwayne Foong

In transitioning from inpatient management of burn wounds to outpatient management, it’s critical to consider advanced wound dressings, according to Kevin Foster, M.D., director, Arizona Burn Center, Phoenix, Ariz.

“We started using Aquacel Ag [ConvaTec Inc.] nine years ago,” Dr. Foster said at the 8th Asia-Pacific Burn Congress. “Part of this has to do with socioeconomic factors and language barriers in a Latino community. Patients were having a tough time doing twicea-day dressing changes.”

Aquacel Ag, meanwhile, is left in place for a matter of days—a factor especially useful in the outpatient management of burns in children.

In one child whose feet and buttocks were burned by hot water, with Aquacel Ag, the child was treated as an outpatient at home by mom and dad with minimal pain medication.

Even a facial burn can be

He also cited the example of a child with a neurologic abnormality who recently sat on a hot concrete sidewalk by a swimming pool, suffering thermal burns.

After surgical treatment, Aquacel Ag was used, demonstrating that despite the unique coloring of the dressing, efficacy was apparent.

“The dressing turned a brown>> cont’d on page 2

What is your opinion on current wound treatment/technology?

can heal nicely.”

- Dr. V. Jayaraman, Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, India

“As a plastic surgeon, I have received good results with some of the creams used for deep wounds.”

-Dr. Hikmat Shkair, Ibn Nafis Hospital, Syria

By Khaw Chia Hui Conferee writer

blood loss, with no effective dressing for hemostatis after debridement.

In addressing Pornprom Muangman, treatment for burn M.D., a member of the victims, cost often Trauma and Burn Division is a stumbling block, of Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, and even more has developed a series of so in developing cost-effective treatments nations in the Asiafor patients with major Pacific region. The burns. Wound debridement simple truth is most Pornprom Muangman, M.D. is performed to remove victims cannot afford dead skin and the wound is then expensive artificial dermis, especially assessed to see whether it is infected those with deep wounds. The other two or not. A non-infected wound would be problems faced by deep wound victims are inadequate skin grafts and massive >> cont’d on page 3 Photo by Dwayne Foong

“For burn victims, wound healing can be a long and complicated process, but with some of the topical treatment available, they

How to Afford Burn Treatment in the Asia-Pacific Region

2 Wound Expert: Dressings Don’t Dress Themselves Issue 01

By Matt Young Conferee writer

Photo by Dwayne Foong

Don’t just bandage a wound; promote a healing environment.

That’s the message from Ann Durnal, R.N., W.O.C.N., Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, Tucson, Ariz., who said bolstering wound healing with proper dressings has major advantages, including being costeffective and also better for the patient.

“Sometimes people think they know things and order things but [wound-care] products still are not being used properly and in a costeffective manner,” said Ms. Durnal, who spoke at the 3rd Congress of the Asian Wound Healing Association.

Not all dressings are alike. Good ones are kept moist, and protect patients from infections. Superior dressings protect patients from outside elements, like dirt. The best can enable patients to perform normal daily activities, like showering, without fear of bacterial infection. And over the long term, they are cheaper to use because they protect longer.

“We have a lot of people who are homeless [at our hospital],” Ms. Durnal said. “They come in with wounds… but whatever dirt [they are confronting] after their dressings by us, they are protected for seven days.”

Dressings that protect patients for several days also improve patient compliance, since dressings have to be changed less frequently.

“A dressing just won’t happen all by itself,” Ms. Durnal said. “That’s what a lot of times people forget when they

Ann Durnal, R.N., W.O.C.N., addressing the delegates on advanced wound care

talk about just dressings.”

To highlight the importance of superior dressings, Ms. Durnal explained the case of an 84-year old man who had a diverting colostomy because of a ruptured diverticulum. The patient also had diabetes and had colon cancer, so he was on chemotherapy.

Clearly, this patient was at high risk for infection and other problems.

Aquacel Ag (ConvaTec Inc.) was placed at the base of the wound and covered with Duoderm Extra Thin (ConvaTec), forming a composite dressing.

When the dressing was removed four days later, the wound was found to be clean.

“There was no problem with the dressing being on for four days,” Ms. Durnal said. “It didn’t cause skin irritation and it protected the colostomy from the wound.”

The combination of Aquacel Ag and Duoderm Extra Thin completely

seals the wound and provides a moist healing environment, Ms. Durnal said.

“It’s extremely flexible so that the patient can move, and it stays up to seven days,” she said. “We’re having good results with it. Other dressings have to be changed daily or twice a day.”

Diabetic foot ulcers—which are common in Asia—also benefit from Aquacel Ag and Duoderm, she said.

Meanwhile, saline and gauze has to be changed very frequently, she said. Spending two U.S. dollars on saline and gauze time and time again, versus a bit more for superior dressings that last much longer, just doesn’t make sense from a patient safety or financial perspective, she said.

One recent study found that by using advanced care dressings, each client saved US$946, she said. Healing rate times for acute and chronic wounds also were reduced by 90%, she added.

More Outpatient Management >> cont’d from page 1

yellowish color which is perfectly normal,” Dr. Foster said. “On postoperative day 13, Aquacel Ag lifted up, came off and the wounds underneath were ok. The idea is that you don’t have to look at the wound every day. As long as Aquacel Ag is adherent to the wound, the wound is fine. If the wound is infected, Aquacel Ag is going to fall off and you can look at it right away.”

Although some doctors in Asia may be less than comfortable using wound dressings that should not be removed for longer periods, Dr. Foster said rest assured that wounds under Aquacel Ag dressing are

improving unless the dressing falls off and exposes suboptimal wound improvement. Already, his center has treated tens of thousands of patients with the dressings.

This boy’s facial burn was managed in an outpatient setting with Aquacel Ag

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After a Burn, Patients Still Need Heat

By Khaw Chia Hui Conferee writer

Photo by Dwayne Foong

Peter Maitz, M.D., speaks on burns

Dr. Maitz then used a system where a catheter is inserted—normally into the femoral vein—and a direct heat exchange occurs to keep the core of the patient at the desired temperature.

Along the catheter itself, there are oval balloons which are connected to a perfusion pump which heats up a sterile saline solution to about 38°C. As blood circulates in the body, the heat exchanged from the catheter effectively increases the body temperature.

Photo by Dwayne Foong

Treatment and care for patients with severe burns can be challenging, especially when deeper tissues such as muscles, blood vessels and bone are affected. One of the many problems faced by these victims is hypothermia.

This early threat needs to be addressed quickly to ensure the patient survives.

But with most of the skin burnt off, it is almost impossible for the patient to generate enough heat to maintain a normal body temperature.

“When I was setting up a burns unit in Sydney, I equipped the operation theatre to be able to have a temperature of 36°C and a humidity of 60%. However, the occupational safety and health regulations in the country did not allow for our staff to be working for hours in that environment so I had to think of something else,” said Peter Maitz, M.D., Chair for Burn Injury and Reconstructive Surgery, Concord Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Australia.

In a case where burns are not severe, a debridement procedure is carried out, followed by a skin graft.

But due to the lack of skin on a severe burn victim, such procedures could not be performed.

Dr. Maitz also revealed that laboratories are trying to recreate human skin, and wean themselves off of porcine and bovine products (the use of which is restricted in certain countries). However, they have yet to successfully produce the collagen and elastin fibers that are found in real human skin. He reckons that it would be at least 10 years before the health care industry would see any significant results.

Burn Treatment Gets Financial Makeover

Photo by Dwayne Foong

From Left: Thierry Poirot, M.D.; Pornprom Muangman, M.D.; Apichai Angspatt, M.D. >> cont’d from page 1

dressed with Aquacel (ConvaTec Inc.), while an infected wound would utilize Aquacel Ag. The dressing is changed every one to seven days depending on a number of criteria. For instance, if the dressing has slipped, exposing the wound to possible infection, it would be changed. Further, if the dressing is saturated with exudates, it also would be changed.

In changing the dressing, Dr. Pornprom remarked that it gives him the chance to inspect the wound and ascertain if the patient needs an additional skin graft.

“This set of procedure provides the patient with a cheaper alternative to artificial dermis and has proven to work,” Dr. Pornprom said. “Patients that underwent this procedure were found to heal nicely.”

Aside from major burns, Dr.

Pornprom also uses Aquacel dressing for superficial second degree burns and donor site wounds. Both wound types are assessed for infections so the right type of Aquacel dressing is used. For superficial wounds, the dressing is changed every three to 14 days. Once the dressing is applied to a donor site wound, it is left intact for 10 to 14 days (depending on wound closure) and the outer dressing is changed every three to five days.

These protocols practiced in his division allow patients to receive the care needed without breaking the bank.

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Issue 01

TEN Patients Look Bad, but Outcomes Are Good with Proper Treatment

By Matt Young Conferee writer

Photo by Dwayne Foong

You almost never know who is going to be affected by toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), but at least there is an abundance of knowledge on how to diagnose and treat this devastating disease.

After all, with proper diagnosis and treatment, most patients make a full recovery without scarring, said Kevin Foster, M.D., director, Arizona Burn Center, Phoenix, Ariz., as part of comments at the 3rd Congress of the Asian Wound Healing Association.

He advised looking for a history of new medications in the last seven to 14 days before patient presentation. Many drugs can cause this disease as a side effect. The patient also may have had a recent viral infection.

Look for a rash that appears as “target” lesions (i.e. they appear like target signs), and they become confluent.

“When one manipulates the blisters, they begin to slough off,” he said.

Usually TEN begins centrally on the torso and spreads distally, Dr. Foster said. The peak of severity is about four to five days after symptom presentation, and the clinical picture is that of an extensive superficial partial-

Kevin Foster, M.D., says surgery won’t stop TEN

thickness burn. Meanwhile, GI tract involvement is indicative of severe disease.

“One of the things that is probably most troublesome with this disease is eye involvement,” Dr. Foster said. “We almost always have an ophthalmologist look at these patients. Oftentimes there’s scarring that can lead to permanent blindness if not treated aggressively.”

Pulmonary and genitourinary problems also may be present.

As for treatment, it’s best to transfer these patients to a burn center, he said.

“Many patients require IV fluids,” Dr. Foster said. Nutrition also is important.

“Keep these patients warm,” Dr. Foster said. Using steroids is not advisable.

“Patients on steroids that come to us tend to have a poorer outcome,” he said. Antibiotics should be used for documented infections only, he added.

Integral treatment of these wounds includes Aquacel Ag (ConvaTec Inc.), Dr. Foster said.

“Our paradigm for treating these wounds is Aquacel Ag,” Dr. Foster said.

“Aquacel Ag becomes adherent. We also use the same dressings on the face. Eventually patients end up with well healed skin, and then patients go home. The wonderful thing about this particular disease is that even though initial wounds look horrifying and widely spread over the entire body, these wounds heal up just fine with no scarring as long as there is no infection.”

Dr. Foster said surgery won’t stop the progression of the disease, but recommended superficial debridements.

“We do superficial debridements right at the bedside,” he said.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)

Getting Wound Care Costs Back Under Control

By Khaw Chia Hui Conferee writer

The rising cost in the health care industry is a constant worry for nursing facilities, especially in the United States, as it affects profits margins and the

Photo by Dwayne Foong

Ann Durnal, R.N., W.O.C.N., supports cost containment

quality of care provided. Apart from the financial bottom line, a healthy “profit margin” also can be measured in terms of the patients’ healing process and the wellbeing of caregivers.

Currently, it is costing the U.S. government more than US$1.35 billion annually to care for patients with wounds. Caring for one wound can sing to the tune of an estimated US$4,000 to US$60,000. In that country, hospital stays are kept at a minimum and patients with wounds are given followup treatments at acute or home-care facilities. Sometimes patients tend to themselves in their own home and only come to hospitals and clinics for

dressing changes.

Those nursing facilities receive a stipend for each patient and if the patient is admitted back to the hospital for complications arising from the same wounds within 60 days, the facility has to take a cut in payment. This, of course, translates to a loss for the facility. Ann Durnal, R.N., W.O.C.N., Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, Tucson, Ariz., shared that about 45% of wound care patients are hospitalized at some point during the 60 days.

“Most of the nurses in these facilities are not wound care nurses but rather general care nurses,” she said.

“So, they may not be equipped with the

Issue 01

5

Practical Tips to Preventing Pressure Ulcers

By Khaw Chia Hui Conferee writer

Although 7.4 million pressure ulcer cases occur globally each year, they are actually decreasing in number at Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, Tucson, Ariz.

In play at that hospital are guidelines to improve the overall wellbeing of patients and reduce strain on hospitals—and these are having an excellent impact on decreasing pressure ulcer cases, said Ann Durnal, R.N., W.O.C.N., Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital.

Upon admission, the patient is assessed using the Braden scale (some hospitals also use the Norton scale) and are documented.

Ms. Durnal, as part of comments at the 3rd Congress of the Asian Wound Healing Association, also shared the SKIN guideline practiced in her hospital.

SKIN is an acronym that stands for Surface, Keep turning, Incontinence and Nutrition. As early as 2005, the hospital administration implemented a mattress replacement program, she noted. Mattresses are replaced every five years and additionally, special mattresses were purchased.

“No matter how good the mattresses are, it won’t work by itself

right knowledge to assess the care plan needed for a specific wound. Thus, documentation and communication ranging from hospitals, clinics and so on has to be clear. The patient also has to understand the care plan that is prescribed.”

Wound care need not grind the bottom line

Ms. Durnal offered an example relating to pressure ulcers, which are quite difficult to care for. She also said it is tricky to identify which stage the

to prevent pressure ulcers,” Ms. Durnal said. “Patient compliance and nursing guidelines come first.”

Many hospitals also have turning guidelines; patients are either turned at every shift or every two hours. This, however, has affected the health of the nursing staff, patient care technicians and caregivers. Ms. Durnal said to lessen their burden, proper techniques have been taught and she encourages them to work in teams of two.

Ms. Durnal said hospitalized patients are most likely to develop a pressure ulcer in the sacral area due to fecal and urine incontinence.

When exposed to bodily waste, the skin in the sacral area is prone to have pressure ulcers. Conventional methods are used to contain the waste. However, if that fails, she recommends using Flexi-Seal (ConvaTec Inc.). Since implementing the use of the product, no pressure ulcer developed on any patient with fecal incontinence.

Apart from guidelines, Tay Ai Choo, Senior Nurse Clinician, Clinical Wound Specialist, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, said education among the caregivers and nurses is important. They should be taught patient assessment, identifying risk

ulcer is in, especially for non-wound care nurses. An incorrect status identification of an ulcer can cost home care between US$1,000 and US$1,650 per episode while costing hospitals US$2,000 to US$4,500 per admission.

Rising costs also could be attributed to the lack of supply chains in place. Proper supply chains are important to ensure caregivers have the flexibility to choose dressings to suit the patient’s lifestyle and wound.

Dressings or treatment prescribed to the patient should take into account the availability of nurses, patient compliance and the severity of the wound.

“Realistically, nurses are not available to change saline dressing several times a day despite the treatment being cheap,” Ms. Durnal said. “Also, patients will not comply if they are

factors and staging, selecting care products and equipment, positioning techniques and proper discharge plans. Ms. Tay added patients also should be educated in layman’s terms on how to prevent or minimize pressure ulcers.

An illustration of the Flexi-Seal device

Ms. Durnal also suggested that in the event where budget and time do not allow for staff to undergo training programs, it is best to partner with product providers/companies for “free” and have short talks in the hospitals themselves.

Although such talks may be short, information gleaned could be useful for the staff and hospital administration would not need to fork out any money. Moreover, it would not greatly affect the nurses’ working hours.

required to get their dressing changed all the time because it poses a problem logistically. These challenges affect the type of care given.”

Standardization of routine care and evidence-based protocols are important too. She added that many times it is difficult to collect data on chronic wound care as cases are infrequent, and data collection on nursing lacks support from hospitals.

Lastly, greater collaboration and communication between MDs and nurses is needed. Document everything in the care plan, she recommended. By doing so, hospitals and homes are also able to avoid legal ramifications with patients. Legal suits are often time- and financially-consuming, eating into the profit margins of those facilities.

6

Issue 01

Nursing Competency a Major Challenge in Burn Care

By Matt Young Conferee writer

Photo by Dwayne Foong

Over the next decade, nursing competency will remain challenging in the area of burn care globally, said Elisabeth Greenfield, R.N., M.S.N., Floresville, Texas.

By competency, Ms. Greenfield means the “knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes that underlie competent performance.”

Competency also enables professional tasks to be performed at appropriate standards, which delineate the level of achievement expected, she said at the 8th Asia-Pacific Burn Congress.

In fact, those who are competent are not necessarily experts. Even beginners can be competent at what they do, she said.

Competent beginner nurses “may be a little slow completing total patient care, limited in the range of skills they can perform, [and] not possess a great deal of specialized knowledge but they are easily distinguished from someone who is not a nurse, or even a novice student nurse,” Ms. Greenfield said.

On the contrary, experienced competent nurses work quickly and capably, and are able to care for highly complex and dependent patients, she said.

Elisabeth Greenfield, R.N., M.S.N., educates

“Nursing skills of assessment and decision-making are often invisible, but are reflected in the delivery of patient care,” Ms. Greenfield said.

Burn care adds an additional element of complexity to nursing competency.

“The burn nurse must possess technical skills of the ICU nurse, attention to detail of a pediatric nurse, wisdom and psychological skills of the psychiatric nurse, and patience of the rehabilitation nurse,” Ms. Greenfield said.

Yet burn training is not necessarily

a large part of a nurse’s training, she said.

To promote more competency in burn training, Ms. Greenfield mentioned some new global educational programs. In Argentina, for instance, the concept of burns has been introduced as a specialty with post graduate education. In the U.K., a 30-week core module covering burn injury management from admission to discharge also has been introduced. Two additional 15-week modules in burns in critical care and burns rehabilitation also have been instituted.

These U.K. modules have been established as a result of the National Burns Care Standards, which recommend formal education across all levels of burn care, she said.

In Asia-Pacific, a graduate diploma in nursing science at The University of Adelaide, Australia, “provides graduates with a rigorous grounding in the theoretical and practical components that underpin the practice of burn nursing,” Ms. Greenfield added.

Wound Care Makes Strides in Japan

By Khaw Chia Hui Conferee writer

Advances made in surgical devices and dressings have made burns and wound healing better and faster. These high-performing products have played a great role in Japan as experienced

by Hajime Matsumura, M.D., professor,

Photo by Dwayne Foong

Department of Plastic Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hospital. He shared several techniques and products used in debridement and dermal regeneration at the 8th Asia-Pacific Burn Conference.

Dr. Hajime revealed that a hydrosurgery system using pressurized streams complements existing conventional debridement tools such as knives and scissors. The tool is found useful in the debridement of burns and different types of wounds.

Despite its high price tag, Hajime

Hajime Matsumura, M.D., says pressurized streams debride well

said the device is worth using as it minimizes the amount of viable tissue cut away during debridement. He also used the tool on 47 patients with various burns and wounds and the findings of the trials have shown that viable tissue was not unnecessarily sacrificed.

As for dermal regeneration, he uses artificial dermis on patients with deep wounds. He also uses artificial dermis combined with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).

Dr. Hajime revealed that artificial dermis alone takes about two to three weeks to accept autograft while with these two techniques the period is shortened to only a week. These methods are normally carried out on patients whose burn or wounds are complicated.

Issue 01

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Posters Support Skin Integrity and Care Roadmaps Att reported. “all patients had [lessened] skin breakdown, and infection [was] controlled. The nurses could save time spent managing fecal incontinence.

The device reduced the need for frequent [patient] cleansing and bed linen changes.”

By Matt Young Conferee writer

Scientific posters at medical conferences often point out the latest advances in care.

Posters presented on the following subjects at the 8th Asia-Pacific Burn Congress, were particularly instructive.

Wound care algorithms work

Device minimizes incontinence repercussions in burn patients Skin damage can be bad enough after a burn, but incontinence among these patients can make things a lot worse.

“Minimizing fecal contact with the skin should help maintain skin integrity and avoid consequences of skin breakdown such as pain or infection,” reported Att Nitibhon, M.D., Bangkok Hospital Group, Thailand.

Dr. Att and colleagues recently evaluated the Flexi-Seal (ConvaTec Inc.) in severe burn patients with diarrhea and incontinence. The Flexi-Seal family of products are temporary fecal diversion and containment systems.

“After using Flexi-Seal, leakage of stool was controlled and skin condition was improved for all three cases,” Dr.

Hello

With Flexi-Seal, change the collection bag as needed

In Malaysia, the government is emphasizing the need to improve quality care while reducing health care costs.

As part of this mission, a performance study on the effectiveness of Solutions Algorithms is being conducted in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s largest government hospital, based on the wound care

algorithm approved by the U.S. government known as the U.S. National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) for the assessment and treatment of wounds regardless of etiology.

Essentially, Solutions Algorithms provides health care professionals with a roadmap linking prevention and management of chronic wounds—via topical applications—to improve clinical and economic outcomes, reported Harikrishna K. Ragavan Nair, M.D., Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

In one case using Solutions Algorithms, a 67-year-old female diabetic patient who had previous ray amputation of digits 2 and 3 formed an ulcer at the left plantar region in 2010. The ulcer became infected. With Solutions Algorithms, protocol for wound care was more systematic , and wound healing became faster, the doctor reported.

Dressing materials used were Aquacel Ag (ConvaTec Inc.) to address infection and Duoderm (ConvaTec) to promote autolytic debridement of the slough.

Other case studies also are showing that Solutions Algorithms work in hospital and outpatient settings.

!

Officials and delegates say “hi” to the Conferee’s publishing team at the 8th Asia-Pacific Burn Conference and 3rd Congress of the Asian Wound Healing Association in Bangkok, Thailand.

rary President rasakul, M.D., Hono Chomchark Chunt Wound Healing & Burn Injury, of ty cie So of the Thai to the Conferee gives a thumbs up

Apichai Angspatt, M.D., Preecha Aesthetic Institute, Bangkok, Thailand, and friends, raise their glasses to the Conferee

Apirag Chuangsuwanich, M.D., President of the Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Thailand, waves hello

International visitor s M.D., (far right) an greet us including David N. Hemd on, d Ronald Tompkins, M.D., (second to right)

Cotton candy lovers caught mid bite Conference MCs toast

Enthusiastic hotel staff say hello Photos by Dwayne Foong

8

Issue 01

COOL STUFF

A Piece of Outer Space Now Cleans Hospital Air Developed earlier for the Russian MIR space station and now used in the International Space Station, the Plasmair T2006 mobile air decontamination unit (AirInSpace Inc.) is used to create clean rooms in hospitals especially for burns facilities. It generates non-thermal plasma coupled with electrostatic fields to destroy airborne fungi, bacteria, viruses and spores in order to protect immunecompromised patients from secondary infections. Tested to regulate biocontamination levels in a 60m3 room, the unit is able to reduce the level of micro-organisms much faster than conventional units and has a low noise level to give patients peace of mind during the recovery period. Plasmair achieves less than 10 CFU/m3 within 15 minutes and maintains that level. Its mobility also allows the unit to create clean rooms in other facilities such as operation theatres, intensive care units, oncology units and other sections in a hospital when needed.

Putting a Bacteria Trap to the Test

Photo by Dwayne Foong

A successful recovery for burn and wound victims not only depends on the right dressings but also on having adequate nutrition. A patient undergoing surgery will need sufficient nutrition during both preand post-operative periods. Oral Impact (Nestle S.A.) provides the nutrition needed especially in cases where the patient is malnourished. Available in powder form in sachets, it contains arginine, omega-3 fatty acids and nucleotides. Normally a healthy body is able to produce enough arginine on its own. But for sepsis and burn cases, the body needs to make much more to stimulate T-cell mediated immunity, eventually contributing heavily towards wound healing and tissue repair. Additionally, fatty acids alter the production of cytokines which then reduces the inflammation in burn victims. Lastly, nucleotides are important building blocks to quickly regenerate and replicate cells such as lymphocytes and enterocytes.

Published by

Media MICE Pte Ltd | 6001 Beach Road, #19-06, Golden Mile Tower, Singapore, 199589 Phone: +65 8186 7677 Fax: +65 6298 6316 Email: enquiry@mediamice.com

Photo by Dwayne Foong

When a given fabric is dunked in red-colored water, and then yellow-colored water, and then blue-colored water, you might expect a lot of colors mixing throughout the fabric, right? Not only that, when you then dip the fabric into clear water, you would expect the colors to run into each other, right?

In fact, when you perform this test with a Hydrofiber Technology (ConvaTec Inc.) dressing, you’ll find that the colors don’t mix at all, but rather, whichever color touches the dressing first gets locked in place. And colors don’t run at all when they dressing is finally dipped in water.

This demonstrates something very important: Hydrofiber technology, an integral part of advanced wound dressings like Aquacel Ag (ConvaTec), locks in wound exudates and traps bacteria. This helps protect the periwound skin and reduce maceration, potentially minimizing cross-infection and also wound infection risk during dressing removal.

Power Powder for Burn Victims: Essential Nutrition

The Conferee has not been underwritten or supported by the 8th Asia-Pacific Burn Congress or the 3rd Congress of the Asian Wound Healing Association. The Conferee is supported by an unrestricted editorial grant from ConvaTec Inc. Designed by ADM Creative