Product News

B. Braun Launches Prontosan^® Wound Gel X
Officials at B. Braun Medical Inc., Bethlehem, PA, have announced the launch of Prontosan^® Wound Gel X, reportedly the only wound gel available on the market that contains betaine (surfactant; a surface-active cleanser that provides immediate debridement) and Polyhexanide (PHMB; which inhibits the growth of microorganisms within the product). Used for maintaining a clean and moist wound environment that is conducive to healing, “Prontosan Wound Gel X represents an important advancement in wound care infection prevention and is specifically designed to keep wounds clean,” said Mike Kelly, director of marketing, infection control products at B. Braun. “It is indicated for the management of first- and second-degree burns helping to put patients on the rapid road to recovery.”

Prontosan Wound Gel X is an effective microbial barrier and it resists microbial colonization within the dressing, officials said. It also reportedly reduces microbial penetration through the dressing and softens necrotic tissue facilitating autolytic debridement. In addition to the management of first- and second-degree burns, Prontosan Wound Gel X is indicated for ulcers (including diabetic foot, leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers), partial- and full-thickness wounds, large surface area wounds, and surgical incisions. Prontosan Wound Gel X will be available to customers in November, according to officials. For more information, visit www.prontosanwoundcare.com

Acelity Launches NPWT Telehealth Solution
Acelity, a global wound care and regenerative medicine company based in San Antonio, TX, recently released its iOn PROGRESS™ Care Network with Remote Therapy Monitoring, a system that delivers continuous at-home monitoring for patients prescribed negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the home. The technology enables timely feedback on use of NPWT as well as increased clinician interaction to assist with patient compliance following care in the outpatient clinic, according to officials. The monitoring works in conjunction with the ACTIV.A.C.™ Therapy System. 

“V.A.C.^® Therapy Systems are the leader in [NPWT], and our focus is on expanding the technology with the dual aim of improving patient experience and reducing the overall cost of care,” said Joe Woody, president and chief executive officer of Acelity. “We believe that by providing and supporting care in the optimal setting we can reduce the burden on patients as well as total costs. With the availability of the iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring, we move closer to our ultimate goal of achieving these care enhancements.”

The new system is also supported by the iOn PROGRESS Care Network, Acelity’s nursing professionals who are staffed to interact with patients in an attempt to foster proper utilization, accurately tracking of patient information, and proactive intervention.

“Acelity has decades of expertise in wound therapy and the company is combining that experience with remote therapy monitoring in an attempt to efficiently reduce costs and improve outcomes for patients with chronic wounds,” said Ron Silverman, MD, FACS, chief medical officer of Acelity.  “We aim to create a powerful continuous-care model that enables early detection and prompt intervention that can improve clinical quality, patient satisfaction and cost containment. We see a critical opportunity to advance the science of wound care with solutions like iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring that can instill greater confidence with physicians when they send patients home to continue therapy.”

Remote therapy monitoring for wound care is particularly important for chronic wounds because compliance to prescribed therapy is a critical success factor for patients treated in the home, officials said.

Study Evaluates Unique Properties of Harbor MedTech’s Wound-Healing Technology
Interim study results recently presented at the Desert Foot Conference support the wound healing capabilities of Architect,^® Harbor MedTech Inc.’s first product using the BriDGE^® technology platform, according to officials. Located in Irvine, CA, Harbor MedTech is a commercial-stage regenerative medicine company. The study is being conducted to characterize the physical and biological properties, effect on wound healing, and mechanism of action of Architect, a stabilized, acellular collagen matrix. In contrast to other skin substitutes that require multiple applications, Architect is designed to heal chronic skin wounds faster — often with just one application, officials said.

“Architect is a new approach to chronic wound management, offering the potential to dramatically improve the patient experience while significantly reducing the cost of caring for these debilitating chronic skin wounds,” said Jerry Mezger, president and chief executive officer of Harbor MedTech. “This important ongoing study reflects our commitment to expanding the science surrounding chronic wound care technology and helping clinicians improve outcomes for their patients.”

The ongoing research effort led by Chandan K. Sen, PhD, executive director of Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Wound Center, involves a variety of in vitro and animal studies. Interim results indicate that, in a mouse model, wound perfusion resolves more quickly in Architect–treated wounds compared to the control-treated wounds, demonstrating that Architect-treated wounds healed faster. Architect–treated wounds also were completely re-epithelialized in about two weeks.

Investigators found that Architect promotes a robust early inflammatory response in wounds that resolves more quickly than in control-treated wounds. Additionally, there is an increase in recruitment of macrophages exposed to Architect that display upregulated healing factors such as inducible nitric oxide synthase. Taken together, these findings help shed light on Architect’s unique ability to heal chronic skin wounds more quickly, often with a single application. This interim data builds on preliminary results from a study presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Spring, which showed Architect could act as a possible scaffold/catalyst, creating a gradient of pro-healing cues for a variety of cells involved in wound healing. Findings indicate cells may draw nourishment from the dressing itself and the dressing may discourage biofilm formation while empowering the body’s own immune mechanisms to activate the inflammatory phase of the healing process.

ConvaTec Launches AQUACEL Ag Surgical Dressing
Officials at ConvaTec (Greensboro, NC), a global medical technology company, have announced the United States launch of AQUACEL^® Ag SURGICAL SP dressing, extending the company's range of AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL cover dressings developed to help reduce surgical-site infections (SSIs).

AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL SP features a thin adhesive layer, to aid conformability for specific types of surgical wounds, such as cesarean section and lumbar spine surgery. The new slim profile dressing is also designed to provide the same antimicrobial protection benefits as AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL cover dressings, officials said.

SSIs can be devastating to a patient's health and costly for healthcare providers. In addition to the burdens of further treatment, under the Affordable Care Act hospitals in the U.S. with high rates of patient readmissions 30 days post-surgery are subject to reduced reimbursement from Medicare.

“Postoperative wound infection is a leading cause of patient readmission following surgery, and a significant issue for both patients and healthcare providers,” said Bryan D. Springer, MD, fellowship director at OrthoCarolina Hip & Knee Center, Charlotte, NC. “Reducing the risk of SSI is a major focus for our facility. Our experience with AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL dressings is that these advanced dressings offer compelling value in terms of patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and cost.”

In studies, AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL cover dressings significantly demonstrated the ability to reduce the incidence of post-operative infection and other complications, such as skin blistering, and improve patient satisfaction, officials said. In a retrospective clinical study of 1,778 patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery (TJA, aka total joint arthroplasty), the use of AQUACEL Ag Surgical cover dressing versus standard gauze surgical dressing reduced periprosthetic joint infection by 76% (0.4% vs. 1.7%, p=0.005). Further results of a randomized controlled trial of 262 TJA patients found the use of AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL cover dressing versus standard surgical dressing reduced skin blistering by 88% (0.7% versus 6%, p=0.026).  The study also found overall patient satisfaction improved 14% (mean satisfaction score of 92 versus 81 out of 100, p=<.0001).

Like AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL cover dressing, the new AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL SP dressing features Hydrofiber^® Technology, ConvaTec's proprietary technology designed to help create a beneficial moist wound environment that supports healing. The antimicrobial silver dressing is highly conformable and provides a waterproof viral and bacterial barrier that supports patient comfort and hygiene, such as the ability to shower after surgery. AQUACEL Ag SURGICAL SP received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year and is available in a range of sizes to cover a variety of surgical site incisions.

For more information, visit www.convatec.com.