Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are serious and challenging for patients and health care professionals. Treatment of DFUs can be labor intensive and expensive. The incidence of diabetic foot infections (DFIs) is high. Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are among the most common complications of DFUs and are frequent causes of hospitalizations, morbidity, and increased risk for lower extremity amputation.

Matrix Metalloproteases (MMPs) play a key role in major processes of normal wound healing. If left unchecked, chronically elevated levels prevent wounds from healing. Clinicians can regulate MMPs in the wound bed using basic principles of good wound healing. This session will provide strategies to support the positive functions of MMPs while reducing or eliminating MMPs’ harmful effects.

 

Many autoimmune connective tissue diseases and vascular conditions in rheumatology have cutaneous manifestations. Skin signs are useful in the diagnosis of rheumatic disease, as they often precede systemic symptoms. This session will examine skin manifestations that are prominent in rheumatic diseases.

While not all wound care providers are dermatologists, a solid foundation in dermatology is paramount for practicing in the field. This session will first cover the science behind skin structure and function and how they are disrupted and repaired in the process of wound care. It will then delve into a discussion of dermatologic conditions that lead to wounds and how the wound care professional can best identify and treat them.

Just like in Dr. Seuss’, “The Foot Book” that describes feet by color, shape and size, can foot conditions be identified by the coloration of the feet? This session will examine lower limb conditions and assess if they can be identified based on color. Put your best foot forward and join this session!

Various antimicrobial therapies are widely utilized both topically and systemically for the management of skin, soft tissue and wound infections. This session will introduce updates to applications of currently used topical and systemic antibiotics, as well as new therapies indicated for skin, soft tissue and wound infections.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an inflammatory ulcerative skin condition affecting mainly the lower extremities. As there is no specific marker, misdiagnosis is not uncommon in clinical practice. Our increasing knowledge of the pathogenesis is supporting the use of targeted therapy; however there are no established guidelines to provide treatment to these patients. This session will briefly discuss the pathogenesis of PG and then provide the recommended practical approaches for diagnosing and treatment PG for wound care providers

In the first of our two-topic wound infection series, infection is the greatest threat to managing wound care and quick diagnosis is needed in avoiding complications. This session will provide steps for risk-assessment and taking those first crucial steps in stopping infectious spread

This session will focus on outpatient registries, setting up an outpatient lab, types of lesions, treatments, why outpatient labs are increasing and the importance of out-patient facilities and treatment of complex PAD in the outpatient setting. Yes we can take care and treat complex advanced CLI in the OBL’s!

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Injury (NSTI) is an increasingly common problem, characterized by progressive and potentially fatal soft tissue infection that requires rapid diagnosis and radical and multiple surgical debridement of all involved tissue. This presentation will explore the entire progression of NSTI management from diagnosis, surgery, skin grafting and wound care.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 represents a worldwide pandemic in its explosive growth rate. Diabetes notoriously alters skin health and wound healing processes. This session will present an overview of the disease highlighting new concepts in pathogenesis and treatment and discuss the role of this disease in hindering wound improvement and describe how these impairments are mediated. (This session is estimated to award .25 pharmacology hours.)

Obesity, which is considered a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D), is associated with an increased chance of hyperglycemia, cardiovascular, metabolic, and other complications, leading to a decreased life expectancy. This session aims to highlight the connection between T2D and obesity, exploring the newer and emerging therapies that can help improve outcomes in these patients. It will also look at how to tailor treatment regimens based on clinical guidelines as well as individual weight loss and glycemic goals.

Diabetes technology is rapidly growing field that has produced many innovative products over the last several years. The advances in diabetes technology have streamlined much of the work that goes into diabetes care and management for both the clinician and the patient. Glucose sensors are one of the most profound discoveries in the last decade. Studies to date have shown utilization of these devices reduce the overall burden of living with diabetes while dramatically improving glucose control. With improved glycemic control, they also have the capacity to delay the onset and progression of diabetic complications. This presentation will provide participants with an overview of the available continuous glucose monitors, the benefits associated with their use, proper patient selection and set-up, as well as practice resources for ongoing management.

Atypical wounds are wounds caused by conditions or diseases that don’t typically form a wound. There are many different types of atypical wounds and this session will focus on those of infectious cause. In a case-based format, learners will develop practical tips on identifying uncommon etiology, locations, and appearances of atypical wounds of infectious cause as well as treatment approaches.

Osteomyelitis management necessitates a multifaceted, multidisciplinary approach involving surgical intervention and antimicrobial therapy as the cornerstone of treatment. In this session, there will be stepwise review of approach to osteomyelitis management including proper staging and identification of causative organism, surgical reconstruction and delivery of appropriate antibiotics.

In the second of our two-topic wound infection series, this session will review the role of bioburden and how it impacts healing in hard-to-heal and challenging wounds. This session will address the critical need for early antibiofilm-based interventions in breaking the cycle of biofilm to support wounds on a healing trajectory.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a common inflammatory skin disease that results in draining skin lesions and therefore requires wound care. HS is associated with pilonidal cyst and its surgical care requires wound care considerations as well. In this session, a dermatologist and a surgeon will discuss cases of HS and pilonidal cyst and review what is know and what is new about diagnosis, management, and wound care.

Once a clinical wound infection has been diagnosed, the identification of infecting organisms is crucial to choosing the correct antibiotic as well as to antibiotic stewardship. This session will review techniques for identifying aerobic, anaerobic, and atypical bacteria, as well as fungi in wounds, including culture techniques and molecular-based diagnostics. Emerging diagnostics for identifying biofilm and point of care testing will be reviewed. Lastly, how to interpret culture reports will be discussed.

Wounds of the cancerous variety can require a collaborative effort between wound care providers and oncologists. This session will explore recent findings in the literature, discuss best practices regarding malignant wounds, and distinguish when oncological intervention may be necessary.

What’s really causing that “rash” and what is that “spot”? Wound care clinicians are frequently asked to diagnose and manage a variety of skin disorders. This session will focus on developing clinician’s approach to diagnosing and treating common dermatoses and skin lesions.

Physiologically, there are very few differences in the integumentary system across diverse ethnic groups. From a dermatological perspective, however, there are unique presentations and conditions that affect certain individuals that are important to recognize and understand clinically. This session will highlight the more common dermatological presentations unique to skin of color to aid in prevention and recognition of normal and abnormal skin related impairments.

With new and emerging therapies for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) available on the market, these patients with extensive wounds are coming to your neck of the woods. Are you ready? In this session, the medical and surgical guidelines for treatment of HS will be examined and specific procedures will be reviewed in a case-based discussion.

The Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) Global Society's mission is to improve quality of life by preventing amputations and death due to CLI. This session will explore the basics of CLI, describe what a multidisciplinary CLI team looks like and explore medical therapy, wound care and surveillance post-revascularization. Join this session, led by our panel of esteemed CLI Fighters, to develop strategies to improve awareness and enhance the way CLI is treated.

Endorsed by Critical Limb Ischemia Global Society

Peripheral arterial disease is a common comorbid condition that may be a primary cause of the patient’s wound or a contributing factor to delayed healing. Early recognition and management is essential, and while medical and surgical treatment is common and accepted, this session will explore other potential concomitant modalities from physical therapy and behavior modification perspectives. (This session is estimated to award .25 pharmacology hours.)

Hidradenitis suppurativa and pyoderma gangrenosum are painful and chronic inflammatory dermatoses. In treating both, it is integral clinicians address quality of life issues and consider custom treatment options. This session will study various topics around these two etiologically obscure disorders.

So much of wound care requires an intimate knowledge of dermatologic principles. This case-based learning session will provide attendees with dermatologic insights that can be put into practice immediately upon return from the conference. Information that will be useful to both newer providers and more experienced providers will be shared, and time will be allowed for audience Q&A.

Debridement of wounds is one of the most basic of skills in wound care today. From selective to non-selective, surgical to enzymatic, there are a number of options that wound care providers have to make the proper decision for each wound encountered. This session will specifically delve into why debridement is performed, various technologies, and a presentation of cases to show both positive and negative outcomes from debridement. The participant will be given clinical pearls to implement into practice. (This session is esimated to award 0.25 pharmacology hours.)

The cellular activities essential for wound healing proceed most efficiently when there is a fully functioning clotting system in place, but many chronic wound patients are taking anticoagulant medications to prevent clot formation for a range of thromboembolic disease states. It stands to reason that interference in thrombin-mediated wound healing activities may stall wound progression and delay wound healing. Patients sustaining even a low impact trauma while on anticoagulant therapy can develop extensive soft-tissue injuries that can quickly turn into non-healing wounds. This session will debate if the benefits of anticoagulant medications outweigh the risks and how to carefully evaluate this patient population.

Why don’t your patients meet their diabetes treatment goals? Why don’t patients adhere to their medical treatments for diabetes? This session will discuss how to promote success with diabetes management by highlighting the main factors to consider when individualizing a diabetes medication regimen. Using the 2022 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the presenter will review the importance of medical comorbidities, risk for hypoglycemia, weight considerations, and cost when counseling patients about best approaches. The presentation will highlight how to create an ideal medication plan for your patients with diabetes that fits their needs and preferences that will promote optimal outcomes.

This session will present common conditions and their uncommon presentations as well as review the management strategies and systemic associations with the goal of increasing recognition and comfort level in diagnosis and treatment in the primary care setting.

Wounds are frequently painful, which can be very difficult for both the patient and the healthcare team providing care for the patient. In this session, we will discuss risk factors for wound pain as well as pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies that can improve the experience for everyone involved.

As our patients live longer with multiple chronic medical conditions, we are seeing more wounds related to chronic damage of the skin microvasculature. One of the most well-known is calciphylaxis where calcium deposition and arteriolopathy result in painful, necrotic wounds. Arteriolopathy is also seen in the closely related conditions non-uremic calciphylaxis and Martorell’s hypertensive ischemic leg ulcer. In this session, we’ll review case studies of calciphylaxis, non-uremic calciphylaxis, and Martorell’s hypertensive ischemic leg ulcer to highlight the symptoms that point to these conditions, review how to biopsy to best confirm the diagnosis, and review treatments available. We’ll contrast these conditions with conditions that can present similarly – pyoderma gangrenosum and diffuse dermal angiomatosis. Similarly, Sickle Cell disease takes a chronic toll on the skin microvasculature resulting in leg ulcers in 1-10% of patients. Unique aspects of these wounds will also be discussed.

This session will be a review of the new drugs (new chemical entities and repurposed drugs) that have been approved, are in clinical investigation or have been reported in the recent literature. Examples include new drugs for epidermolysis bullosa and venous leg ulcers. We will also review the array of new therapeutic options which will help improved therapy for patients.

The diagnosis and management of cutaneous disorders in the lower extremities is a challenge for many clinicians. This session will offer a comprehensive guide to the diagnosis and management of lower extremity dermatological conditions, how to perform biopsies, and a guide to current dermatologic therapies.

Wound care providers frequently are not only asked by patients about their wounds, but about other skin conditions as well. In this session, we will discuss both common dermatoses and some unusual causes of skin disease. (This session is estimated to award 0.25 pharmacology hours.)

Unfortunately, pain is common in patients with wounds and if unaddressed or managed poorly, can impair the patient’s quality of life or lead to other adverse consequences. In this session, we will discuss rational pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies and ways of monitoring the patients prescribed opioids. (This session is estimated to award 0.5 phamacology hours.)

We have come a long way since the discovery of penicillin, or have we? In this session, a critical appraisal of systemic and topical antimicrobial therapies will be presented. Focus will be on drugs and devices as well as the critical need for antimicrobial stewardship in the field of wound care.

Wounds often have systemic implications and focusing on the wound itself may limit the potential to improve patient outcomes. Medications have the potential to augment or inhibit healing. This session will discuss known and emerging medications that have the potential to either improve or inhibit healing. As a result, the provider can add to their armamentarium of treatment options.