WOUND HEALING 2016 - `40m cases of non-healing chronic wounds evident globally’

MN Monitoring Desk  

London: Forty million cases of non-healing chronic wounds are evident globally with 10m reported in Europe alone, besides wound management in Europe accounts for 2-4 per cent of the healthcare budgets, according to researchers.

Besides, the problematic bio-films in chronic wounds have been demonstrated to have a role to play in delaying wound healing and were also considered to increase the risk of a wound developing an infection, they added.

They were speaking at the last week’s inaugural event of Wound Healing 2016 held here from 26-28. Wound Healing 2016, run by Euroscicon Ltd, was an open forum event that tackled the processes involved in wound healing. The event also discussed the related therapies to wound infection and healing. Moreover, Wound Healing 2016 used an international setting, inter-specialty and multi-professional approach that offers huge opportunities for debating and discussing that is set in an informal atmosphere.

Dr Narendra Kumar, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, at the Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, USA, proposed to develop new ways to completely protect and secure the gut lining from wounds. But, available options for the treatment of non-healing chronic wounds are limited when bio-films are evident, as bio-films are inherently recalcitrance to presently available antimicrobial interventions. Bio-films that are present in chronic wounds represent a serious clinical issue for the patient and a significant financial burden to health services worldwide. In conjunction with the need for new antibiotics, as highlighted by the Chief Medical Officer of Cupron Inc., Prof Sally Davies, the development of innovative anti bio-film agents is also urgently required.

According to Prof Steven Percival from the University of Liverpool, “New research findings were shared at Wound Healing 2016, which will further advance our fundamental understanding of this complicated and dynamic process.” The event also tackled that adding microscopic copper oxide particles in wound dressings enhances wound healing, especially in hard to heal chronic wounds.

The event also discussed the molecular mechanisms of the enhanced wound healing.