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Wounds International's clinical innovations section presents recent developments in wound care.


International Wound Infection Institute: Leaders in wound infection understanding, prevention, and management


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Authors: Terry Swanson [top] and Keryln Carville [bottom]


ound infection is a source of morbidity and mortality the world over; be it in


acute wounds, or the ever-growing number of chronic wounds. Much remains to be done by the clinicians in the field and researchers in the lab to better understand and manage wound infection. Though common, the nuances of many of the key issues in infection – biofilms, critical colonisation, and so on – are poorly understood. In 2006, scientists, medical and nursing practitioners, allied healthcare professionals and academics met in Budapest to explore their shared interest in wound infection, and to discuss the possibility of forming an expert body able to participate in the expansion of understanding,


prevention, and best-practice management of wound infections. The meeting was Chaired by Professor Keith Harding, and made possible by an unrestricted education grant from Smith & Nephew. Off the back of the Budapest meeting, and 2 years later in


Toronto, the newly formed International Wound Infection Institute (IWII; www.woundinfection-institute.com) held its first annual general meeting to establish a governance structure and agree a framework for future activities. Keith Harding was elected Chair and served until 2012, at which time Terry Swanson took on the Chairmanship at the annual general meeting held during the Australian Wound Management National Conference.


WHAT IS THE IWII? The IWII is a multidisciplinary inclusive society, providing a global perspective on the latest developments in wound infection. We aim to inform and educate specialist and generalist practitioners in wound infection prevention and management, and create a positive impact on patient outcomes. Membership of the IWII is free and available through


the website (www.woundinfection-institute.com). The IWII currently has more than 1700 registered members from more than 20 countries. We aim to build our international membership and professional and commercial networks for those interested in the prevention and management of wound infection. We seek sustainable financial support, which will enable us to advance our research and education goals and the development of best practice documents for both the health professional and the wounded. If you are interested in wound infection or more


importantly preventing them then please consider becoming a member the IWII. Members have access to a wealth of material on the IWII website, with a focus on the latest evidence, research, and education in wound infection prevention and management. [Please note: the IWII website is currently being re-designed so we apologise for the lack of updates; our secretariat hopes that the website will be fully functional by mid-year.] Available resources include a curriculum outline on


wound infection, a comprehensive matrix of evidence, an international consensus paper on infection and several reviews and commentaries, including a monthly update on the latest publications in the field.


IWII OUTPUTS The IWII has produced a number of widely recognised and endorsed documents. Importantly, the IWII reviewed, revised, and extended the 2004 TIME principles[1]


in the


International Wound Journal.[2] A review was carried out of each of the core TIME


concepts: tissue (nonviable); infection/inflammation; moisture balance; and edge/epithelial advancement, to determine whether any significant changes had occurred since the original publication. Where differences were identified, they were investigated and the findings included in the updated version of the framework. The most important differences were in four key areas:


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Wounds International Vol 5 | Issue 2 | ©Wounds International 2014 | www.woundsinternational.com


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