Practice Innovations
Lower extremity (LE) wounds are a significant healthcare burden with devastating consequences if not treated properly. Treatment of chronic LE wounds varies depending on size, location and wound etiologies, overall patient health and comorbidities. Risk factors include diabetes, poor circulation, obesity, smoking, immobility and age. Current SOC includes dressings, surgical procedures, wound compression, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), and skin grafting/substitutes.
New treatment paradigms are emerging which may address factors contributing to poor outcomes for patients with chronic LE wounds. Optimized tissue management, infection control, tissue repair, and moisture balance within the wound bed are critical factors related to mitigation of wound progression.1,2,3 We review an innovative approach to a newly emerging treatment paradigm with transforming powder dressing (TPD).
Methods:
We present results of two subjects with LE wounds refractory to SOC. Treatment for both was converted to TPD.
Post TPD conversion:
These challenging patients experienced enhanced healing with TPD relative to SOC. TPD may provide the benefit of promoting wound healing while requiring less overall resource and material utilization and spend compared to SOC.