Nonhealing foot ulcerations, secondary to diabetes, have been implicated in up to 90 percent of all amputations in several world centers including the United States, Canada, England, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Taiwan. 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, controlled trial of 36 patients, 13 (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 offloading, wound healing rates improved to a statistically significant level (p = <0.05) over that seen in individuals who received standard care and offloading.
       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.
       For more information, contact Michele Olson, Augustine Medical, by phone at (952) 947-1214 or by e-mail at molson@augmed.com.