2011
INTERACTIVE GLOBAL WEBCAST SERIES
Wounds International invites you to
Improving clinical and economic outcomes in hard to heal wounds Broadcasting on Wednesday 8 June 2011 at 11.00 (6.00 AM EST) & 4.30 GMT (11.30 AM EST), followed by your chance to ask the expert in a LIVE Q&A session Watch the presentations online at: www.woundsinternational.com/webcasts.php Register at http://webcasts.woundsinternational.com
Brought to you by Wounds International in conjunction with, and sponsored by Smith & Nephew
Improving clinical and economic outcomes in hard to heal wounds
2011
INTERACTIVE GLOBAL WEBCAST SERIES
T
his webcast will focus on the problem of wounds where healing is prolonged or never achieved. The reasons why many wounds do not close are multiple and appropriate and effective management lies in recognising the complexity of these factors. The challenge is to identify as early as possible when a wound is hard to heal. For those living with a chronic, non-healing wound, the impact on their daily living can be far-reaching. Patients may experience severe pain, emotional problems and social isolation1. There are also substantial costs involved with large ulcers of long duration being twice as costly to treat as small ulcers of short duration2. Appropriate referral with access to the right treatment at the right time to manage patients’ symptoms is key to achieving good concordance and in reducing economic burden on healthcare providers. A major reason why many wounds do not heal is a high bacterial burden . However, there has been little research into the impact of topical antibacterial dressings on bioburden in chronic wounds. To help address this, a recent study set out to assess the efficacy of a polyurethane foam dressing containing silver sulfadiazine in patients with infected hard to heal venous leg ulcers3. This reported a significant reduction in bioburden with 45.8% achieving wound closure by treatment discontinuation (12 weeks). There was also a significant reduction in pain and a good level of patient concordance was achieved. This study provides an important benchmark and supports the use of a treatment protocol that addresses both the concerns of patients and reduces the overall cost burden. It is therefore timely that this webcast from Wounds International and Smith & Nephew will examine these issues in more detail. 1
LEARNING POINTS After taking part in this webcast, you will be able to: • Understand why some wounds are hard to heal and how delayed healing can impact on quality of life. • Appropriately tailor care to manage patients’ symptoms and improve their concordance. • Suggest a treatment approach using a topical polyurethane foam dressing containing silver sulfadiazine in patients with infected hard to heal venous leg ulcers.
References: 1. European Wound Management Association (EWMA). Position Document. Hard-to-heal wounds: a holistic approach. London: MEP Ltd, 2008. 2. Tennvall GR, Hjelmgren J, Oien R. The cost of treating hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers: results from a Swedish survey. World Wide Wounds 2006. Available from www.worldwidewounds.com/2006/november/Tennvall/Cost-oftreating-hard-to-heal-venous-leg-ulcers.html 3. In vivo effect of sustained-release silver sulphadiazine foam on bioburden and wound closure in infected venous leg ulcers. J Wound Care 2011; 20(2):90-96.
Chaired by Professor Keith Harding, this webcast will include two presentations from our expert speakers, Professor Patricia Price and Dr John Lantis. Following the broadcast you will be able to pose your own questions to the panel during the live Q&A session.
Brought to you by Wounds International in conjunction with, and sponsored by Smith & Nephew
PROGRAMME Broadcast times: Wednesday 8 June 11.00 GMT (6.00 AM EST) & 4.30 GMT (11.30 AM EST) Introduction:
Professor Keith Harding, Cardiff, UK
Speaker 1:
The challenge of hard-toheal wounds Professor Patricia Price, Cardiff, UK
Speaker 2 :
The in-vivo effect of a polyurethane foam dressing containing silver sulfadiazine on bioburden and wound closure in hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers Dr John Lantis II, New York, USA