Diabetic foot ulcers lead to the majority of amputations seen worldwide

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (March 14, 2002) Nonhealing foot ulcerations, secondary to diabetes, have been implicated in up to 90 percent of all amputations in several world centers including Japan, Taiwan, Spain, Italy, Canada, the United States and England. Prompt healing of ulcerations can prevent many of these amputations and likewise improve the quality of life for affected individuals. Approximately 2.35 million diabetic foot ulcers are diagnosed per year in the United States. The incidence of chronic wounds is expected to increase dramatically in the future due to the increasing incidence of diabetes and other health-related disorders associated with developing chronic wounds. The US diabetes rate alone may increase up to 165 percent over the next 50 years.

However, new developments in technology and more attention directed to the prevention of ulceration, could reverse this tide. One therapy that may offer a promising direction is Warm-Up therapy, manufactured by Augustine Medical. In a randomized-control trial of 36 patients, thirteen (72 percent) of the 18 subjects in a group treated with noncontact normothermic wound therapy (NNWT; Warm-Up therapy) healed within the two-month time frame of this study. Five (28 percent) of the 18 subjects in the control group achieved complete healing. When wound warming was combined with off-loading, wound healing rates improved to a statistically significant level (p=<0.05) over that seen in individuals who received standard care and off-loading.1

While the study pointed out that Warm-Up therapy alone is not the answer to diabetic foot ulcers, it is a promising approach to improved wound healing. New technologies in addition to better wound care could bring the incidence of diabetic foot ulcers and amputations down significantly.

Warm-Up therapy is the only noncontact normothermic wound therapy available today. The therapy is designed to assist the body?s healing process by maintaining warmth and humidity in the wound area.

Augustine Medical, Inc., a privately held medical device company, develops products that provide innovative, practical solutions to common medical problems. Founded in 1987, the company pioneered the concept of perioperative temperature management using forced-air warming. The company manufactures the Bair Hugger warming system, the Ranger blood/fluid warming system and Warm-Up therapy. For more information on Augustine Medical, see www.augustinemedical.com.

Arizant Healthcare Inc. (successor to Augustine Medical, Inc.), 10393 West 70th Street, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. Tel: 952-947-1214; Fax: 952-947-1400.