Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells within a Gelatin Matrix Acquire Enhanced Regenerative and Angiogenic Properties: A Pre-Clinical Study for Application to Chronic Wounds.

This study evaluates the influence of a gelatin sponge on adipose-derived stromal cells (ASC). Transcriptomic data revealed that, compared to ASC in a monolayer, a cross-linked porcine gelatin sponge strongly influences the transcriptome of ASC. Wound healing genes were massively regulated, notably with the inflammatory and angiogenic factors. Proteomics on conditioned media showed that gelatin also acted as a concentrator and reservoir of the regenerative ASC secretome. This secretome promoted fibroblast survival and epithelialization, and significantly increased the migration and tubular assembly of endothelial cells within fibronectin. ASC in gelatin on a chick chorioallantoic membrane were more connected to vessels than an empty sponge, confirming an increased angiogenesis in vivo. No tumor formation was observed in immunodeficient nude mice to which an ASC gelatin sponge was transplanted subcutaneously. Finally, ASC in a gelatin sponge prepared from outbred rats accelerated closure and re-vascularization of ischemic wounds in the footpads of rats. In conclusion, we provide here preclinical evidence that a cross-linked porcine gelatin sponge is an optimal carrier to concentrate and increase the regenerative activity of ASC, notably angiogenic. This formulation of ASC represents an optimal, convenient and clinically compliant option for the delivery of ASC on ischemic wounds.

Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells for Chronic Wounds: Scientific Evidence and Roadmap Toward Clinical Practice.

Chronic wounds, ie, non-healing ulcers, have a prevalence of ~1% in the general population. Chronic wounds strongly affect the quality of life and generate considerable medical costs. A fraction of chronic wounds will heal within months of appropriate treatment; however, a significant fraction of patients will develop therapy-refractory chronic wounds, leading to chronic pain, infection, and amputation. Given the paucity of therapeutic options for refractory wounds, cell therapy and in particular the use of adipose-derived stromal cells (ASC) has emerged as a promising concept. ASC can be used as autologous or allogeneic cells. They can be delivered in suspension or in 3D cultures within scaffolds. ASC can be used without further processing (stromal vascular fraction of the adipose tissue) or can be expanded in vitro. ASC-derived non-cellular components, such as conditioned media or exosomes, have also been investigated. Many in vitro and preclinical studies in animals have demonstrated the ASC efficacy on wounds. ASC efficiency appears to occurs mainly through their regenerative secretome. Hitherto, the majority of clinical trials focused mainly on safety issues. However more recently, a small number of randomized, well-controlled trials provided first convincing evidences for a clinical efficacy of ASC-based chronic wound therapies in humans. This brief review summarizes the current knowledge on the mechanism of action, delivery and efficacy of ASC in chronic wound therapy. It also discusses the scientific and pharmaceutical challenges to be solved before ASC-based wound therapy enters clinical reality.

Pain management of chronic wounds: Diabetic ulcers and beyond.

Patients who suffer from ulcers often experience pain of sufficient severity to reduce their quality of life. The aim of this review article is to collect, analyze and qualitatively resynthesize information regarding the definition and prevalence of ulcer pain, the pathophysiology of such pain, its assessment, and the optimal systemic and topical treatments. Early identification and prompt treatment are key to pain management. Further management should focus on appropriate dressing as much as on pain medication. The goal is to provide maximum relief with minimum side-effects.

A randomized controlled trial of the safety and efficacy of a topical gentamicin-collagen sponge in diabetic patients with a mild foot ulcer infection.

OBJECTIVES: The initial phase of infection of a foot ulcer in a person with diabetes is often categorized as mild. Clinicians usually treat these infections with antimicrobial therapy, often applied topically. Some experts, however, believe that mild diabetic foot ulcer infections will usually heal with local wound care alone, without antimicrobial therapy or dressings. METHODS: To evaluate the potential benefit of treatment with a topical antibiotic, we performed a single-center, investigator-blinded pilot study, randomizing (1:1) adult patients with a mild diabetic foot ulcer infection to treatment with a gentamicin-collagen sponge with local care versus local care alone. Systemic antibiotic agents were prohibited. RESULTS: We enrolled a total of 22 patients, 11 in the gentamicin-collagen sponge arm and 11 in the control arm. Overall, at end of therapy, 20 (91%) patients were categorized as achieving clinical cure of infection, and 2 (9%) as significant improvement. At the final study visit, only 12 (56%) of all patients achieved microbiological eradication of all pathogens. There was no difference in either clinical or microbiological outcomes in those who did or did not receive the gentamicin-collagen sponge, which was very well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot trial suggest that topical antibiotic therapy with gentamicin-collagen sponge, although very well tolerated, does not appear to improve outcomes in mild diabetic foot ulcer infection.

Wound centres-how do we obtain high quality? The EWMA wound centre endorsement project.

OBJECTIVE: Different types of multidisciplinary concepts for treating non-healing wounds have been developed. However, there is insufficient evidence on the quality of multidisciplinary wound centres, and a limited number of evaluation systems have so far been developed. The lack of an international wound centre evaluation/certification system is the basis for the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) Wound Centre Endorsement Project. The project aims to describe the minimum requirements for a wound management centre. These requirements have been defined as a basis for evaluation and endorsement of wound centres inside as well as outside a hospital setting (in- and outpatient clinics). METHOD: The endorsement programme focused on wound centre characteristics such as: target population; types of centres; and choice of model used. The method used to develop the EWMA wound centre endorsement programme was an evaluation of the quality of the different types of established wound centres across and outside Europe. Criteria and procedures for endorsement of wound centres were developed and pilot projects were performed outside Europe in two in-patient centres in China and one outpatient centre in Brazil. RESULTS: The EWMA endorsement procedure includes the following steps: initial application; review of centre data provided via the application form and follow-up dialogue; visit to the wound centre; final report and endorsement; and re-endorsement. A follow-up visit was arranged in connection with the re-endorsement. Experiences from the pilot studies have so far indicated that the endorsement process is not only a quality declaration, but may also result in positive developments, such as increased visibility, increased patient flow, increased healing rates, and decreased amputation rate. CONCLUSION: Development of endorsement systems focusing on the minimum requirements for a wound management centre is required to support the development of high-quality wound centres which provide health-care services according to recent evidence of current best practice. The EWMA Wound Centre Endorsement Project is the first international programme of its kind and this may, in the future, support the establishment of international collaboration and knowledge sharing about the development and maintenance of high-quality wound centres.

[Infection of chronic wounds in elderly patients]. / Infection de plaies chroniques : particularités chez la personne âgée.

Chronic wounds infection in the elderly patients presents the risk of functional decompensation, or irreversible worsening of a wound. The diversity of clinical situations, the absence of data from clinical trials in the literature and a certain fatalism in view of the poor prognosis of these conditions should not be allowed to delay the early preparation of a patient-centred care plan (aiming at complete scarring, remission or symptomatic relief). Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies must be flexible, to take account not only of functional issues, constraints and special features relating to the patient but also of the resources and technical means available. Antibiotic therapy is widely used and must be reduced. It needs, however, to be considered for inclusion in a care plan that must be comprehensive and multidisciplinary.

L'infection de plaies chroniques chez le patient âgé fait peser le risque d'une décompensation fonctionnelle ou d'une aggravation irréversible de la plaie. L'hétérogénéité des situations cliniques, l'absence de données issues d'essais cliniques et un certain fatalisme devant le pronostic précaire de ces affections ne doivent pas retarder l'élaboration d'un projet de soins adapté au patient (traitement visant à une cicatrisation complète, une rémission ou alors purement symptomatique). La stratégie de prise en charge doit s'adapter de façon dynamique aux enjeux fonctionnels, aux contraintes et particularités liées au patient mais aussi aux ressources et moyens techniques à disposition. Par ailleurs, l'emploi de l'antibiothérapie doit être maîtrisé et ne doit pas éluder une prise en charge globale et pluridisciplinaire.

[Interdisciplinarity in the hospital setting: between daily challenge and group stakes]. / Interdisciplinarité en milieu hospitalier: entre défi hebdomadaire et enjeux de groupe.

Group functioning may limit interdisciplinarity. Four scenarios of health professionals' meetings are described. A) If priority is timing, the group isn't interdisciplinary any longer; decisions are endorsed without questioning or criticism. B) When positions' stakes aren't clarified, speaking helps active persons to take power and passive ones to strengthen their criticisms. C) If caregivers are turned to their duties and territory, recourse to interdisciplinary process is only made in case of difficulties. D) When the group is moved by implicit standards, resources are underutilized. In conclusion, added value of interdisciplinary work is superior when divergent options are brought without influence of recurring problems or protocols.

The urgent need for clinical, diagnostic, and operational research for management of Buruli ulcer in Africa.

Despite great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of Buruli ulcer, it is one of the least studied major neglected tropical diseases. In Africa, major constraints in the management of Buruli ulcer relate to diagnosis and treatment, and accessibility, feasibility, and delivery of services. In this Personal View, we outline key areas for clinical, diagnostic, and operational research on this disease in Africa and propose a research agenda that aims to advance the management of Buruli ulcer in Africa. A model of care is needed to increase early case detection, to diagnose the disease accurately, to simplify and improve treatment, to reduce side-effects of treatment, to deal with populations with HIV and tuberculosis appropriately, to decentralise care, and to scale up coverage in populations at risk. This approach will require commitment and support to strategically implement research by national Buruli ulcer programmes and international technical and donor organisations, combined with adaptations in programme design and advocacy. A critical next step is to build consensus for a research agenda with WHO and relevant groups experienced in Buruli ulcer care or related diseases, and we call on on them to help to turn this agenda into reality.

[Steps to improve the quality of urinary incontinence care]. / Démarches d'amélioration de la qualité des soins liés à l'incontinence urinaire.

Urinary incontinence is a frequent symptom rarely spontaneously reported. This emphasizes the need to address it in every patient. Once disclosed, its origin needs to be specified so that therapeutic issues may be reached. These being often efficient, patient quality of life will improve significantly. In order to improve urinary incontinence management, a multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals of our institution have proposed to spread basic knowledge, screening tools and evaluation scales of this bothersome worldwide symptom. This team enables healthcare providers to unite themselves in a network which will help to orientate patients in order to fulfill their needs.

[Urinary incontinence in hospitalized geriatric patients : is it really a priority for nurses?]. / L'incontinence urinaire chez des personnes âgées hospitalisées en unité de gériatrie: est-ce vraiment une priorité pour les infirmières?

INTRODUCTION: urinary incontinence (UI) is a phenomenon with high prevalence in hospitalized elderly patients, effecting up to 70% of patients requiring long term care. However, despite the discomfort it causes and its association with functional decline, it seems to be given insufficient attention by nurses in geriatric care. OBJECTIVES: to assess the prevalence of urinary incontinence in geriatric patients at admission and the level of nurse involvement as characterized by the explicit documentation of UI diagnosis in the patient's record, prescription of nursing intervention, or nursing actions related to UI. METHODS: cross-sectional retrospective chart review. One hundred cases were randomly selected from those patients 65 years or older admitted to the geriatric ward of a university hospital. The variables examined included: total and continence scores on the Measure of Functional Independence (MIF), socio-demographic variables, presence of a nursing diagnosis in the medical record, prescription of or documentation of a nursing intervention related to UI. RESULTS: the prevalence of urinary incontinence was 72 % and UI was positively correlated with a low MIF score, age and status of awaiting placement. Of the examined cases, nursing diagnosis of UI was only documented in 1.4 % of cases, nursing interventions were prescribed in 54 % of cases, and at least one nursing intervention was performed in 72 % of cases. The vast majority of the interventions were palliative. DISCUSSION: the results on the prevalence of IU are similar to those reported in several other studies. This is also the case in relation to nursing interventions. In this study, people with UI were given the same care regardless of their MIF score MIF, age or gender. One limitation of this study is that it is retrospective and therefore dependent on the quality of the nursing documentation. CONCLUSIONS: this study is novel because it examines UI in relation to nursing interventions. It demonstrates that despite a high prevalence of UI, the general level of concern for nurses remains relatively low. Individualized care is desirable and clinical innovations must be developed for primary and secondary prevention of UI during hospitalization.

Noninfectious wound complications in clean surgery: epidemiology, risk factors, and association with antibiotic use.

BACKGROUND: Noninfectious wound complications are frequent and often are confused with and treated as infection. METHODS: We assessed the epidemiology, impact, risk factors, and associations with antibiotic use of noninfectious wound complications in clean orthopedic and trauma surgery. We report a single-center, prospective, observational study in an orthopedic department. RESULTS: Among 1,073 adult patients, 630 (59%) revealed clinically relevant postoperative noninfectious wound complications, leading to a significant prolongation of hospital stay (14 vs. 12 days; Wilcoxon rank-sum test; p<0.02) compared with patients without complications. The most frequent and severe complications were discharge with dehiscence (n=437; 41%) and hematoma (n=379; 35%). Forty-seven patients (47/630; 7%) underwent reoperation for dehiscence (n=39) or hematoma (n=8). These patients made up 4.3% of the entire study population (47/1,073). In multivariate analysis, an ASA score≥2 points, age≥60 years, surgery duration for ≥90 min, implant-related surgery, and poor compliance toward nurses' recommendations were pronounced risk factors for these complications, whereas antibiotic-related parameters had no influence. Staple use was significantly associated with wound discharge but not with hematoma. CONCLUSIONS: Wound complications, such as dehiscence with discharge or hematoma after clean orthopedic and trauma surgery, are frequent with an overall incidence of 60%. Although they lead to few surgical reinterventions, they prolong hospital stay by 2 days. Few clinical parameters show association with wound complications. Among them, improvements of patient compliance and avoidance of staples use for skin closure are the most promising actions to decrease complication risk.

The at-risk foot concerns not only patients with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of the at-risk foot in patients with diabetes is high and is increasing with age. The screening of the at-risk foot should be performed in all geriatric patients and on a regular basis. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of at-risk foot in a geriatric population of patients and to identify associated principal risk factors in patients with diabetes, nondiabetic patients with neurological disorders and subjects without any known cause of sensory loss at the lower limb. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective study has been conducted in a university long-term care facility with mostly geriatric patients.Four hundred and twenty-six consecutive hospital admissions were recruited between October 2005 and September 2006.Lower limb neuropathy (LLN) was evaluated by the vibration perception threshold using a 128-Hz Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) was evaluated by the Doppler technique. Patients with LLN and/or PVD were considered to have at-risk foot. RESULTS: Of the 426 participants (median age 80 years, range 26-97), 110 (25.8%) had LLN, 82 (19.2%) had PVD and 92 (21.6%) had both LLN and PVD. Diagnosed diabetes mellitus was present in 96 (22.5%) patients and different neurological disorders having impact on foot sensitivity in 100 (23.5%) patients. The prevalence of the at-risk foot was similar in patients with diabetes (68.7%), in nondiabetic patients with chronic neurological medical conditions (66.0%), or in those without any evidence of diabetes or neurological disease (66.1%). Age was shown to be a predictive factor for the presence of LLN (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of the at-risk foot in geriatric patients is high, independently of the presence of diabetes. The results suggest that both nondiabetic patients and patients with chronic neurological disorders should be screened for the presence of LLN and PVD as diabetic patients. This screening should be mandatory both in institutions and at home by the general practitioner(s).

A first evaluation of an educational program for health care providers in a long-term care facility to prevent foot complications.

Patients with diabetes and chronic neurological disorders are most commonly "at-risk" with foot problems. The identification of that population is therefore mandatory to prevent severe foot lesions. However, not all health care providers (HCPs) are involved in the screening process in institutions. The authors' aim was to develop and evaluate an educational program for HCP in the field of at-risk foot. All HCPs of the Loëx Hospital (Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, University Hospitals of Geneva) participated in a longitudinal prospective study. Different professions of HCP (doctors, nurses, nursing aides, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, and psychologists) attended a structured educational program during a 1-year period based on a specific consultation that the authors developed. During the sessions, risk factors and therapeutic and preventive interventions are discussed with both the patient and care givers. A questionnaire was developed and used to evaluate (1) initial knowledge of HCP in the field of at-risk foot and (2) the impact of the program on the knowledge of HCP 12 months after starting the program. Twelve months after initiating the program, a significant knowledge improvement was noted in all groups of HCP except medical doctors. Nurses presented the most significant rise in knowledge score (P < .001). In conclusion, the consultation is an acceptable and effective form of long-term educational program for HCP in a hospital setting with a huge majority of patients suffering from chronic vascular and neurological conditions and loss of protective pain sensation at the lower limb.

Management of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

UNLABELLED: Standard recommendations for the clinical management of patient with ALS have been edited in recent years. These documents emphasise the importance of patient's autonomy. AIM OF STUDY: To measure how these different recommendations can be applied in the context of a general hospital without a specific ALS clinic. METHODS: Review of medical records of 21 patients with an ALS diagnosis treated by the University Hospitals Geneva who died from 1996-2002. RESULTS: Patients suffered from distressing symptoms during their last hospitalisation. Artificial nutrition was given to 5 patients. Six patients had non invasive ventilation (NIV). Written advance directives were only available in 2 cases. Discussions about theses issues were also conducted late in the evolution of the disease. CONCLUSION: Some discrepancies between our daily practice and the existing recommendations exist, particularly regarding the key issues of artificial nutrition and ventilatory support.