Negative pressure wound therapy more effective than alternative
Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (San Antonio, Tex) announced the final results of a randomized controlled clinical trial for the efficacy of the company’s V.A.C.® System negative pressure wound therapy compared to advanced moist wound therapy (AMWT) in treating diabetic foot ulcers.
The trial involved 342 patients with complex, hard-to-heal diabetic foot ulcers with 90% of therapy days occurring in the home setting. Patients using the product had better complete ulcer closure, quicker closure time, and fewer amputations than patients treated with AMWT. The study will be published in the April 2008 issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Diabetes Care.
For more information, visit www.kci1.com.
Company expands ostomy product line
Coloplast (Humlebaek, Denmark) has added the Sensura® Click to its ostomy care product line.
The product is a two-piece pouching system using similar barrier technology to the company’s one-piece system and features a click-lock security ring. Called the “Circle of Security,” the ring produces an audible click when the product is locked into place, providing patients with assurance the device is secure. The system also uses a double-layer adhesive design that can help minimize skin irritation.
For more information, visit www.coloplast.com or www.sensuracoloplastostomy.com.
Ultrasound debridement system introduced
Arobella Medical, LLC. (Minnetonka, Minn) has launched the Qoustic Wound Therapy System™, which advances the use of low-frequency cavitational ultrasound for wound care.
The portable system debrides by deploying focused ultrasound energy directly on to the wound bed, which removes dead or diseased tissue cells and bacteria and leaves healthy and pre-healing granulation tissue intact. The product also can prepare the wound bed for other therapies, such as grafts and flaps.
For more information, visit www.arobella.com.
Suspension boots reduce pressure ulcer prevalence
DM Systems, Inc. (Evanston, Ill) announces publication of a study that reveals its Heelift® Suspension Boot can play an integral role in reducing facility-acquired heel pressure ulcers. The study describes one facility’s efforts to significantly lower the number of patients who suffered from or acquired heel pressure ulcers. In addition to disciplined staff members checking and turning patients and monitoring at-risk patients through the Braden Scale and other risk measurements, the facility used the suspension boots to aid in elevating patients’ heels and relieving pressure points. The facility succeeded in lowering heel pressure ulcer prevalence by 90% over an approximately 5-year period.The boots help prevent heel pressure ulcers by cradling and cushioning the leg while gently elevating the lower leg and suspending the heel in air. The boots can be customized and an accompanying foam pad can assist in preventing foot drop and hip rotation.
For more information, please visit www.dmsystems.com.
Reimbursement code for wound dressing secured
Soluble Systems, LLC, announced that SADMERC has awarded billing codes to the company’s product, TheraGauze™, an advanced wound dressing. The dressing’s polymer technology allows it to provide a non-stick moist healing environment for many types of wounds without maceration of covered tissue.
The codes include: A6242 Hydrogel dressing, wound cover, pad size 16 square inches or less, without adhesive border, each dressing; and A6243 Hydrogel dressing, wound cover, pad size more than 16 square inches but less than or equal to 48 square inches, without adhesive border, each dressing.
For more information, visit www.solublesystems.com. |
