1. TOPICAL OXYGEN THERAPY INC
1.1. Topical oxygen therapy was awarded an “A” grade treatment recommendation by the American Diabetes Association in their 2023 standards of care in diabetes
Advanced Oxygen Therapy Inc. (AOTI), the global leader in non‐invasive topical oxygen wound healing solutions, announced that the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has awarded an “A” grade recommendation for utilising adjunctive topical oxygen therapy in treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU) in their 2023 standards of care in diabetes, the preeminent Clinical Practice Guidance in the space.
The ADA is the leading clinical authority dedicated solely to combating diabetes and its complications. Based on the latest scientific research and clinical trials, their annually updated standards of care in diabetes provide the most comprehensive and trusted evidence‐based clinical guidelines on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes and its complications.
Dr Mike Griffiths, CEO and President of AOTI commented: ‘We are delighted that the ADA's Professional Practice Committee, in its 2023 update to their standards of care in diabetes, has assessed that the now overwhelming body of clinical evidence supports awarding topical oxygen therapy a converted “A” grade recommendation as an adjunctive treatment for healing DFU’.
AOTI's unique Topical Wound Oxygen (TWO2) therapy is unlike any other topical oxygen approach, in that it is the only device that provides a multimodality treatment, combining higher pressure oxygen delivery with non‐contact cyclical compression and humidity, in a therapeutic applied by the patient at home. This patented approach has been demonstrated in numerous Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) and Real‐World Evidence (RWE) studies to not only heal chronic wounds at a far higher rate, but also perhaps more importantly, keep them closed longer term, thereby reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and amputations.
‘The more sustainable long‐term healing elicited when utilizing TWO2 therapy was highlighted in the ADA guidance, with their citing of all of the RCT and RWE studies conducted with TWO2, along with multiple recent Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses, leading to their “A” grade recommendation’, stated Dr Griffiths.
1.2. About AOTI
AOTI is a privately‐owned company based in Oceanside, California USA and Galway, Ireland that provides innovative solutions to resolve severe and chronic wounds worldwide. Their products reduce healthcare costs and improve the quality of life for patients with these debilitating conditions. Their patented non‐invasive TWO2 homecare therapy is clinically proven to deliver Sustained Wound Healing that reduces both Amputations and Hospitalizations, So Life Can Get Back to Normal.
2. MEDICAL LIFE SCIENCES
2.1. Antibiotic resistance influence on wound care
Antibiotic resistance is one of the factors that causes a delay in wound healing and a corresponding spike in medical and healthcare expenses.
The primary reason for the emergence of resistance is the inappropriate use of antimicrobials. To use antibiotics wisely, it is necessary to understand the principles of diagnosing wound infection, what organisms are likely to be responsible for, and what antimicrobial agents they respond to.
This knowledge will help to ensure that antibiotics are used only when essential, and in a manner that does not cause more resistance to be generated.
2.2. Measures to prevent antibiotic resistance
Prevention of Inappropriate Antibiotic Use
To prevent the emergence of resistance, the following practices are recommended:
Removing dead and unhealthy tissue from wounds (wound debridement) with copious irrigation to flush out toxins and other agents which prevent speedy healing
Restriction of systemic antibiotics to situations where the spreading infection is manifest in the subcutaneous tissue ascending up a limb or shows signs of severe widespread infection
Use of more specific antibiotics depending on the type of organism expected in the wound, rather than broad‐spectrum antibiotics, to reduce the chances of selecting resistant skin and gut organisms for survival
Use of empirical antibiotics based on wound cultures
Use of topical antibiotics
Testing new antibiotics for the possibility of the development of resistance
Research on other potential methods to control infection in wounds
The gravity of antibiotic resistance in wound care is well established, and many wound cultures, especially from chronic wounds caused by vascular insufficiency, show multiple bacterial strains that are resistant to common antibacterials.
In such cases, repeated cultures become a vital tool to monitor the emergence of resistant strains in the community. The wound surgeon, the microbiologist, and other specialists in community medicine must collaborate to get early culture results and use them to select the right antimicrobial therapy.
The change in resistance patterns in the community makes the availability of local epidemiologic studies an important factor in choosing the right empirical therapy.
A common misconception which has led to excessive antibiotic use in chronic non‐healing ulcers is the attribution of the slow recovery to bacterial infection, whereas it is the disrupted vascular pattern which is to blame. Thus, avoiding the use of antibiotics in this population of patients is likely to create a significant reduction in antibiotic resistance.
Newer and more effective approaches which focus on the removal of the biofilm and encouraging physiological conditions in the wound area will reduce the healing time and the need to resort to antibiotics in this segment.
2.3. Prevention of the spread of existing resistant strains
However, other steps need to be taken to isolate the resistant strain and prevent its transmission to others, both patients and staff. These include:
Proper handwashing and hygiene measures after seeing or handling one patient
Isolation facilities for patients with resistant wound infection
Barrier nursing prevents the carriage of infection from one person to another
Personal protection kits
The use of equipment set aside for such patients and needs alone
Careful waste disposal and other means to avoid environmental contamination
These must be exploited in full measure to keep antibiotic‐resistant microbes from spreading inside and beyond the hospital.
2.4. Topical antimicrobials in wound care
Topical antimicrobials, unlike antibiotics, act at multiple sites to inhibit or destroy target cells, and this means that resistance is rare. Thus, the use of topical agents to arrest bacterial growth in wounds is an area of immense potential in wound care, reducing bacterial counts without resorting to antibiotics.
The use of topical antibiotics is another option, but this requires sound clinical experience and specific wound criteria. For instance, foul‐smelling open wounds may benefit from one topical agent while burns may require another type. At the same time, the adverse effects of topical antimicrobials must also be rigorously assessed, as blood dyscrasias have been reported with some commonly used preparations.
Silver, cationic antimicrobials, and quaternary ammonium compounds are all examples of effective skin antiseptics which are proven to be useful in wound care without the need for antibiotic use.
In short, antibiotics should be used to treat bacterial infections only when indicated by appropriate guidelines, and antiseptics should be given increased priority in wound care. This will create antimicrobial barriers while cutting down the bacterial counts in the wound and reduce the chances of antibiotic resistance as well.
3. MEDTRONIC
3.1. Medtronic was named one of America's most JUST companies by JUST Capital and CNBC
Medtronic, a global leader in healthcare technology, has been named to the 2023 Rankings of America's Most JUST Companies by JUST Capital, along with media partner CNBC, for its commitment to serving its employees, customers, communities, the environment, and shareholders.
Notable contributions that resulted in Medtronic's overall ranking and outperformance against peers on the JUST 100 list include the company's focus on:
3.1.1. Community and customers
Medtronic develops revolutionary solutions that put people first and partners with global health systems to accelerate patient access to care. By combining the power of healthcare technology with strong partnerships, Medtronic is working to help put health equity within reach, tackling some of the most challenging health disparities—from heart disease and cancer to diabetes.
3.1.2. Putting employees first
Medtronic has taken strategic actions to move faster toward zero barriers to equity, including shifting to a leader‐led model for inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E), building stronger accountability across the organisation, setting new five‐year organisation diversity representation goals, measuring beyond representation, and being more transparent publicly about progress.
3.1.3. Environmental sustainability
In FY22, Medtronic announced a new ambition to be net zero across its value chain by FY45. In FY22, the company achieved a 35% reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions intensity compared to its FY20 baseline, toward its goal of 50% by FY25.
‘For more than 60 years, the Medtronic Mission has guided our work and inspired our workforce to transform the lives of millions of people each year’, said Geoff Martha, Medtronic chairman and chief executive officer. ‘Being recognized as a JUST 100 company demonstrates progress in our commitment to do right by our communities – from our employees to healthcare providers, to the 76 million patients we support each year – as we strive to be the world's leading healthcare technology company’.
The JUST Rankings are the only comprehensive evaluation of how the nation's largest corporations perform on the issues that matter most to Americans today, including creating jobs in the U.S., paying a fair, living wage, acting with integrity at the leadership level, supporting workforce retention and training, protecting worker health and safety, providing benefits and work‐life balance, protecting customer privacy, minimising pollution, and more.
For the annual Rankings, JUST Capital collects and analyses corporate data to evaluate the 1000 largest public U.S. companies across 20 issues identified through comprehensive, ongoing public opinion research on Americans' attitudes toward responsible corporate behaviour. JUST Capital has engaged with more than 160 000 participants, on a fully representative basis, since 2015.
3.2. About medtronic
Bold thinking. Bolder actions. Medtronic plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission—to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life—unites a global team of 90 000+ passionate people across 150 countries. Our technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. Powered by our diverse knowledge, insatiable curiosity, and desire to help all those who need it, we deliver innovative technologies that transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day. Expect more from us as we empower insight‐driven care, experiences that put people first, and better outcomes for our world. In everything we do, we are engineering the extraordinary.
4. CONVATEC
4.1. New wound care solution simplifies the choice for healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers
Convatec is pleased to announce the US launch of ConvaFoam, a family of advanced foam dressings designed to address the needs of healthcare providers and their patients. ConvaFoam can be used on a spectrum of wound types at any stage of the wound journey, making it the simple dressing choice for wound management and skin protection.
Hard‐to‐heal wounds are a silent epidemic with substantial economic, clinical, and social burden that is set to continue rising1. Multiple factors can make wound treatment challenging, but at Convatec, we believe there is always a road to recovery.
ConvaFoam has been specifically designed to help address the silent epidemic by removing the complexity of wound care and offering healthcare providers and patients more than just a dressing.
‘Through active listening, combined with our heritage of advancing wound care technologies, we have created a high‐performance product range that makes the choice of dressings simpler for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients’, said David Shepherd, President and Chief Operating Officer, Advanced Wound Care at Convatec.
The ConvaFoam family of dressings includes enhanced silicone technology for improved adhesion2; improved absorbency fluid handling; 7 day wear time3; a patterned film design that may help to aid exudate monitoring3; and a superabsorbent layer. ConvaFoam can also be cut to size, aiding application to difficult‐to‐dress areas.
ConvaFoam is more than a dressing—it's a wound care service that provides extra educational support where needed. Market research conducted amongst wound care patients in the United States, and Germany4, indicated that 72% of patients change their dressing themselves, while 23% have help from a formal caregiver or their family. But 44% of patients state that they struggle with being compliant with their wound care treatment plan. To support and guide patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals throughout dressing changes, Convatec has added QR codes on each ConvaFoam packaging, leading to a host of educational videos.
Consistent with our promise to be ‘forever caring’, Convatec has been committed to pioneering advanced wound care solutions for more than 40 years. We believe that every wound should have the best chance to heal. By putting the needs of patients and the people who care for them at the center of our research and development, we strive to make wound care more effective and manageable. As well as advancing wound care products, we share our expertise through offering tailored customer support, and developing value‐added tools and guides, all with the aim to improve patient outcomes and reduce the overall cost of care.
News and views. Int Wound J. 2023;20(3):617‐620. doi: 10.1111/iwj.14115