Suchergebnisse

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a common, costly, debilitating problem across all healthcare sectors, despite significant investment in education and training and use of human resources, equipment, and technological advancements. In recognising the persistent problem of PUs, the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) and the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) have created a group to work collectively on a specific project advocating for the prevention of PUs to be considered as a major health care and patient safety issue. Aim: The overall aim of the project is to establish a joint EPUAP-EWMA working group on PU prevention and engage in patient safety agendas at the European level as well as at the national level in selected European countries. Discussion: We are seeking to place prevention of PUs as a high priority on the patient safety agenda within the European Union (EU). To achieve this, given the lack of agreed methodology for incidence monitoring, we advocate for the use of standardised monitoring of PU prevalence, with targeted prevention measures to reduce prevalence, made available across the continuum of care. Conclusion: Adopting PU prevalence as a key measurement tool across the wider health care sector in the EU, will ensure that both adequate monitoring of prevalence and use of prevention can be achieved.

The excess of free radicals in the wound environment contributes to its stagnation during the inflammatory phase, favoring hard-to-heal wounds. Oxidative stress negatively affects cells and the extracellular matrix, hindering the healing process. In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and wound-healing properties of a novel multifunctional amorphous hydrogel-containing Olea europaea leaf extract (OELE). Five assessments were performed: (i) phenolic compounds characterization in OELE; (ii) absolute antioxidant activity determination in OELE and hydrogel (EHO-85); (iii) antioxidant activity measurement of OELE and (iv) its protective effect on cell viability on human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and keratinocytes (HaCaT); and (v) EHO-85 wound-healing-capacity analysis on diabetic mice (db/db; BKS.Cg-m+/+Leprdb). The antioxidant activity of OELE was prominent: 2220, 1558, and 1969 µmol TE/g by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, respectively. Oxidative stress induced with H2O2 in HDFs and HaCaT was normalized, and their viability increased with OELE co-treatment, thus evidencing a protective role. EHO-85 produced an early and sustained wound-healing stimulating effect superior to controls in diabetic mice. This novel amorphous hydrogel presents an important ROS scavenger capacity due to the high phenolic content of OELE, which protects skin cells from oxidative stress and contributes to the physiological process of wound healing. ; This research was funded by QUESPER R&D, and partially by INNCORPORA-TU-2011-1886 subprogramme (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain) and the programme for the Reinforcement of Research Activity in the Clinical Management Units of the Andalusian Health Service (Department of Health. Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain).

This 8-week, multicenter, randomized, active-controlled, observer-blinded clinical trial was designed to demonstrate the accelerating effect on wound healing of the novel Olea europaea leaf extract hydrogel (EHO-85) by comparing it to a widely used amorphous hydrogel. Results showed that EHO-85 significantly accelerated wound healing, regardless of ulcer etiology (pressure, venous leg or diabetic foot) and prognosis, doubling the median wound area reduction compared with a reference amorphous hydrogel (79.4% vs. 39.7%; difference: −39.7%, 95% CI: −71.1 to −21.3%; p < 0.001). The intention-to-treat analysis was conducted on 195 patients from 23 Spanish health centers/nursing homes. This novel treatment balances the ulcer microenvironment by modulating reactive oxygen species and pH. These actions complement the moistening and barrier functions inherent to amorphous hydrogels, whilst also conferring EHO-85 its documented granulation formation and pain relief properties. Furthermore, efficacy was achieved safely and in a cost-efficient manner due to its multi-dose format, which reduced the amount of product needed by 85.8% over 8 weeks compared to single-use hydrogel. The present randomized controlled trial is a relevant milestone in evidence-based practice for being the first to demonstrate (i) the effectiveness of an amorphous hydrogel in accelerating wound healing and (ii) the superiority of a specific hydrogel over another. ; This research was funded by QUESPER R&D (Córdoba, Spain) and partially by the programme for the Reinforcement of Research Activity in the Clinical Management Units of the Andalusian Health Service (Department of Health. Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain).