Comprehensive Wound Management for Advanced Outcomes
It’s a new year, and there is new hope for patients struggling with the late effects of radiotherapy, including Osteomyelitis.
In this post, we’ll discuss positive wound care outcomes related to osteomyelitis, chronic refractory osteomyelitis, and the late effects of radiation therapy.
So what exactly is osteomyelitis? In simple terms, osteomyelitis is a bone infection with various etiologies requiring a comprehensive care team and treatment plan. Cancer patients who have had radiation therapy are potentially susceptible, since radiation therapy can cause low white blood cell counts. Patients with chronic foot wounds are also vulnerable.
Osteomyelitis can also be associated with vascular insufficiency, which is common in patients with diabetes mellitus and PAD.
The National Institutes of Health estimate that there are about 50,000 hospital admissions every year attributed to osteomyelitis. Chronic, non-healing osteomyelitis, known as chronic refractory osteomyelitis, can be especially dangerous. It can lead to significant bone loss and amputation if not properly treated.
The Mayo Clinic also provides some additional high-level guidance on the pathophysiology of osteomyelitis:
Osteomyelitis is an infection in a bone. Infections can reach a bone by traveling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissue. Infections can also begin in the bone itself if an injury exposes the bone to germs.
Smokers and people with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or kidney failure, are more at risk of developing osteomyelitis. People who have diabetes may develop osteomyelitis in their feet if they have foot ulcers.
Although once considered incurable, osteomyelitis can now be successfully treated.
At CūtisCare we agree that osteomyelitis can be effectively treated, and we’ve seen some exceptional patient outcomes from advanced, comprehensive wound care treatment plans.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, or HBOT, can be utilized as a critical component in a comprehensive treatment plan to reduce, or even significantly reverse, some of the negative effects of osteomyelitis and chronic refractory osteomyelitis. The National Institutes of Health provided some additional guidance in a September 2022 publication:
Hyperbaric oxygen treatments can be considered an American Heart Association (AHA) Class II recommendation for the treatment of chronic, refractory osteomyelitis. In patients with Wagner grade 3 or 4 diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) with osteomyelitis, adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an AHA Class I intervention.
CutisCare’s medical advisory board chairman, Dr. Juan O Bravo, is a leading advocate for this advanced therapy when treating chronic refractory osteomyelitis with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and is featured in a recent article on hyperbaricaware.com.
What Are the Specific Benefits of Advanced HBOT Therapies for Patients Diagnosed with Osteomyelitis?
HBOT is a medical treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. Under these conditions, your lungs can absorb much more oxygen than would be possible by breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. As the patient’s blood carries this extra oxygen throughout the body, the oxygen-rich blood helps fight bacteria and stimulates the release of growth factors and stem cells. These factors promote healing.
At CūtisCare, we also believe in a comprehensive team approach. Patients with osteomyelitis and chronic foot wounds require a comprehensive treatment plan and care team. This should include vascular surgery, foot and ankle surgeons, and infectious disease specialists, along with the wound care and hyperbaric medicine teams.
Could your hospital, practice, or clinic benefit from the most advanced, comprehensive wound care treatments available?
Are you interested in attaining the highest level of certification as a center of excellence for HBOT? Accredited facilities demonstrate a commitment to enhancing performance, managing risk, and distinguishing themselves from non-accredited facilities.
Breast wound care management and hyperbaric oxygen therapy solutions provide proven treatments designed to:
- Improve your patients’ quality of life
- Reduce infections, bone and tissue necrosis
- Provide game-changing treatments for patients with osteomyelitis
- Lower amputation rates
Get in touch with our team today if you’d like to learn more about HBOT treatment solutions for the late effects of radiation, osteomyelitis, STRN, ORN, and additional indications. At CūtisCare our delivery models are designed to fill a critical void that exists in the wound care treatment and healing space.
Wherever you’re at in your journey to explore advanced, efficacious chronic wound care solutions, we’d love to share our 25 years of knowledge and experience with you. Get in touch with one of our HBOT thought leaders today.