New Products and Industry News

Dressings enhance pressure ulcer prevention 

Mölnlycke Health Care (Gothenburg, Sweden), a medical products and solutions company, supported an educational grant for research on the effect of preventative dressings when applied to pressure ulcers (PUs). A substantial proportion of the scientific and clinical evidence supporting the use of prophylactic dressings relates specifically to multilayer polyurethane foam dressings with Safetac® (Mepilex Border Sacrum and Mepilex Border Heel). 

The World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) Consensus Document, “Role of Dressings in Pressure Ulcer Prevention,” presented at the WUWHS 2016 Congress held in Florence, Italy September 25–29, highlighted the patient-related and economic benefits of using polyurethane foam dressings in PU prevention, as well as a guide for clinicians on the appropriate use of dressings, and emphasized the need to consider them as a complement to standard PU prevention.  

For more information, visit: www.molnlycke.com

Silicone dressing introduced

ConvaTec (Deeside, UK), a global medical technology company, launched Foam Lite™ dressing, expanding the company’s portfolio of silicone foam dressings and providing customers with a broad range of advanced dressings for the management of a wide variety of chronic and acute wounds. The new foam dressing was showcased at the World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) 2016 Congress held in Florence, Italy September 25–29 along with the company’s advanced wound care products that includes the new Avelle™ disposable negative pressure wound therapy system.

The foam dressing is a thin, flexible dressing developed specifically for managing low- to nonexuding wounds such as skin abrasions, skin tears, and partial-thickness burns that do not require the absorbency of regular foam dressings. The new dressing complements the company’s range of AQUACEL Foam dressings for moderately exuding wounds.

For more information, visit: www.convatec.co.uk

Fish skin approved for surgical applications

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Omega3-rich fish skin graft (Kerecis, Isafjordur, Iceland) for marketing as a surgical reinforcement. The product is intact fish skin used to regenerate damaged human tissue, and it has the potential to accelerate healing. It can be used in lung, bariatric, gastric, colorectal, and other surgeries. This product can strengthen the staple line and reduce the possibility of leakage. This technology is patented in the United States and multiple other countries.

For more information, visit: www.kerecis.com

Negative pressure wound therapy improves healing predictability 

Smith & Nephew (St. Petersburg, FL), a global medical technology business, has published new clinical evidence highlighting improved patient outcomes following orthopedic surgery that utilized its PICO negative pressure wound therapy system. The study was a randomized, controlled trial of 220 patients undergoing primary hip or knee replacement. The research took place over a 12-month period at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Shropshire, UK. Results show significant reduction in wound exudate distribution within the dressing, the number of dressing changes, and length of stay in hospital among patients where PICO was applied.

For more information, visit: www.smith-nephew.com

Fluorescence is efficacious in wound healing

KLOX Technologies (Laval, Quebec, Canada), a specialty pharmaceuticals company, presented interim results from ongoing clinical studies on LumiHeal for the treatment of hard-to-heal, nonresponsive chronic wounds and postsurgical scarring. This product is a first-in-class, proprietary, noninvasive, nonthermal treatment that harnesses the power of oxidants to treat serious skin and soft tissue disorders. Interim results support the efficacy profile of the product in promoting wound healing and wound bed preparation, which point to the capacity of this treatment to help chronic, hard-to-heal, nonresponsive wounds become more responsive. These results show the chronic wounds of 17 patients closed over the course of the treatment, while 2 were close to closing and 3 others were ready for skin graft. An additional 6 patients experienced a decrease in wound size during the study period, but without meeting the criteria of full responders. The full study will conclude by the end of 2016 and data will be available in the first half of 2017.

For more information, visit www.kloxtechnologies.com

Slim profile surgical dressing can reduce SSIs 

ConvaTec (Greensboro, NC), a global medical technology company, launched AQUACEL® Ag Surgical SP dressing in the United States, extending the company’s range of AQUACEL Ag Surgical cover dressings developed to help reduce surgical site infections. The SP dressing has a thin adhesive layer to aid with conformability for specific types of surgical wounds such as those from Caesarean section and lumbar spine surgery. The new slim profile dressing also is designed to provide the same antimicrobial protection benefits as the rest of the cover dressings in this dressing family.

In previous studies, these cover dressings demonstrated the ability to reduce the incidence of postoperative infection and other complications such as skin blistering and improve patient satisfaction.

For more information, visit www.convatec.com

This article was not subject to the Ostomy Wound Management peer-review process.