Contents


of Toronto, Canada, to find out how both have been working to keep infections down as much as possible amid changing government requirements.


58 Validating reprocessing of ultrasound probes Hartmann


37 The essential laboratory event IFCC WorldLab-Euromedlab Roma 2023


39


Wound care 39 Best foot forward


Diabetic foot ulcers have the potential to carry a huge cost, both to patients – who can end up losing part of their lower limb – and to hospitals through the expenditure used in managing them. We could be on the cusp of a turning point, however, with a variety of researchers reporting successful outcomes from a new ‘fast-track pathway’, designed to diagnose and treat this type of chronic wound quickly. Andrea Valentino learns more, talking to Dr José Luis Lázaro- Martínez, an expert in podiatric medicine and professor at Complutense University of Madrid; and Dr Marco Meloni of the University of Tor Vergata.


44 Cause and effect Due to the high prevalence of diabetes, much of the academic literature on wound care is centred around how it affects the pathogenesis of chronic wounds and how healthcare professionals should go about treating them. But diabetes is one of many reasons the human body might struggle to heal from damage to one or more layers of the skin. Sarah Harris speaks to Naseer Ahmad, vascular surgeon and clinic director of the Manchester Amputation Reduction Strategy and Chandan Sen, associate vice-president of military & applied research at Indiana University’s School of Medicine, to explore the comorbid


Practical Patient Care / www.practical-patient-care.com Critical care


conditions that prevent wounds from healing, and the strain this puts on healthcare systems.


51 From art to science The prevalence of chronic wounds is on the rise in the developed world. This is due to its population living longer and an increase in the rate of conditions like diabetes mellitus – one of the most common reasons the body might struggle to regenerate tissue after sustaining a wound. The European Wound Management Association has been at the forefront of defining good wound management practices since its inception in 1991, and ahead of its upcoming conference, the organisation’s president Sebastian Probst tells Peter Littlejohns why wound care is still in a transitional phase from an art to a science.


Infection control 55 Stop the spread


Hospitals are places of healing; at least that’s the way most of us view them. But with the number of invasive procedures, open wounds and bacteria present, the inside of a healthcare facility can also present a high risk of infection to patients. Add the fact that staff have been dealing with a highly infectious virus for the past three years of the Covid-19 pandemic, and infection preventionists have had their work cut out. Hailey Hudson speaks to Dr Hilary Babcock, director of Infectious Disease Prevention and chief quality officer at BJC Healthcare, and Erica Susky, an infection control practitioner based out


60 Every second counts Unintentional injury is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. In many cases, the difference between life and death can be a matter of minutes, or even seconds, in which a surgical team must act. It’s why countries have hospitals dedicated to treating major trauma patients, but that hasn’t been the case for as long as some might think. Mae Losasso speaks to Stephen Bush, chair of the Advanced Trauma Life Support European Association, to find out how the care of trauma patients has developed since the 1980s and how future innovations could improve it further.


65 The new point of view Planmed


Operating room technology 66 Cyber surgery


The smallest mistake in a surgical procedure can leave patients with injuries that lessen their quality of life, or even result in death on the operating table. But without rigorous training, how can young surgeons expect to improve their technique? Up until now, hospitals have dealt with this quandary by giving trainees cadavers or animals to work on, or else limiting them to straightforward medical procedures. But now, virtual reality is opening new avenues for surgeons to gain the experience they need to take on complex operations – without adding a layer of risk to a living, breathing patient. Andrea Valentino speaks to a range of medical VR enthusiasts to learn more.


Events 69 Events to look out for in 2023


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