New wound management improvement business addresses numerous aspects of care
Smith + Nephew Inc., Wound Management Division (Clearwater, Fla.) announced the formation of Bamboo, a wound management outcomes tracking and improvement business designed to help healthcare providers improve quality and financial performance of their wound care delivery.
The new enterprise enables healthcare providers to get better results from their wound management programs. By bringing together clinical, business, and information technology expertise, the business will support improved planning, decision-making, and delivery of care. According to the business's general manager, helping clinical staff and management look beyond data collection should allow wound care providers to make a difference in the way they deliver treatment and, ultimately, in the results they get for their patients and facilities.
The business' premier wound management product, WoundPath, provides data capture and reporting capabilities as part of an integrated program of clinical analysis and quality improvement. Clinical staff can collect and organize information to measure wound progress on both individual and aggregate patient levels to identify trends in healing and financial performance. The system is designed to fit within existing clinical workflows and allow easy data entry by wound care professionals.
This program is currently available to healthcare providers nationwide. For more information, call (727) 392-1261. - OWM

Wound matrix product gets public TV spot
OASIS, a naturally derived, extracellular matrix used to manage a variety of wounds that is manufactured by Healthpoint(R) (Fort Worth, Tex.), is featured in news break segments that air this summer on the American Medical Review series on selected public television stations nationwide. The segment was filmed at the Lucerne Wound Healing Center in Orlando, Fla., and features interviews with, among others, Dot Weir, RN, CWOCN, an active AAWC member and officer.
The wound matrix is used to manage partial- and full-thickness wounds such as pressure, venous, and chronic vascular ulcers, diabetic ulcers, surgical and trauma wounds, second-degree burns, and autograft donor sites. Profiling this wound management option will help patients struggling with chronic and acute wounds to become more educated and involved in their wound care. - OWM

Contract for wound products awarded
Molnlycke Health Care, Inc. (Newtown, Pa.) in collaboration with CERES Strategies, a division of Beverly Enterprises, provider of healthcare services to the elderly in the US, has been awarded a 2-year contract for their Tendra(R) range of advanced wound management products effective June 1, 2003. The products can be used on numerous wound types, including skin tears, venous leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers.
For more information, visit www.molnlycke.net. - OWM

Marketing agreement announced for skin substitute
Organogenesis Inc. (Canton, Mass.) has entered into an agreement with PDI Medical Devices and Diagnostics (Upper Saddle River, NJ) for the marketing and promotion of Apligraf(R) living, bilayered skin substitute, the company's lead product. The agreement became effective June 18, 2003, when the company's current long-term marketing and distribution arrangement with Novartis Pharma AG terminated.
As part of this new arrangement, PDI's national wound-care sales and marketing team will market and promote the product, and PDI's current team of wound care nurses will provide after-sales clinical support for practitioner use. Under the terms of the agreement, PDI will receive a fee with the potential to earn incentives based on performance.
For further information, please visit wwwxcellwoundcare.com. - OWM

Silver dressing receives technological innovation award
Medline Industries, Inc. (Mundelein, Ill.), the exclusive distributor of SilvaSorb(TM) Silver Antimicrobial Dressings in the US, announced that AcryMed, Inc.(the dressing manufacturer) was the recipient of Frost and Sullivan's 2003 Technological Innovation Award in the antimicrobial dressings market. The award specifically recognizes AcryMed's development of its MicroLattice(R) technology used in the company's line of controlled-release silver wound care products.
SilvaSorb, the sterile, single-use dressing is intended for moist wound management. It combines MicroLattice with stabilized, sustained release silver technology and is effective up to 7 days. The dressing's synthetic matrix helps maintain an optimal environment for healing by managing the moisture level in the wound; it either donates moisture if required or absorbs up to five times its weight in excess wound exudate. It also controls the release of ionic silver when triggered by contact with moisture.
As an effective barrier to a broad spectrum of micro-organisms, the dressing may help reduce infection by inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, and other clinically significant micro-organisms.
The dressing comes in a variety of formats for optimal use in the management of a variety of wound types such as pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, leg ulcers, skin tears, first- and second- degree burns, grafted wounds and donor sites, surgical wounds, and lacerations and abrasions.
A similar dressing, Arglaes uses controlled-release technology to deliver silver onto the application site, effectively helping reduce infection on postsurgical incision sites, central line sites, pressure ulcers, and minor burns. It is available as both a transparent film dressing and in a powder form to deliver controlled-release antimicrobial silver to any size, shape, or depth of wound.
The Frost + Sullivan Technological Innovation Award is presented each year to the company that has best demonstrated the ability to successfully develop and introduce new technology, formulating a well-designed product family. The recipient company's technology is expected to make significant product performance contributions to the industry. - OWM

Preventive skin care approach considers nursing challenges
The Wound Management Division of Smith + Nephew (Largo, Fla.) recently introduced the SkinEquity(TM) philosophy, a preventive skin care approach that embodies the company's Living Vision to improve quality of life through innovation in advanced wound management.
Facilities adopting the philosophy may help protect the skin and prevent skin breakdown, most commonly seen as pressure ulcers. The new approach combines industry-leading medical education programs with high-quality skin care products to deliver improved outcomes. The goals are improved patient care, motivated caregivers, and a reduction in total healthcare costs. The combination of comprehensive education and high-quality products helps facilities maintain a motivated and consistently trained staff.
Knowledge, protection, and results are the foundation of the philosophy. Understanding the risks for skin breakdown empowers caregivers to intervene early and take control of care. Protective products that are formulated with gentle, effective ingredients that will not harm fragile skin are essential. The combination of knowledge and protection can lead to results like improved outcomes, shorter hospital stays, lower treatment costs, and less liability risk. Most importantly, the philosophy can help inspire caregivers to deliver the best preventive skin care possible.
For more information, visit www.skinequity.com or call (800) 876-1261. - OWM