It all about the dots ...........

Hello -

Micro-currents in action

Over the past few weeks we have made many new friends and as the word spreads, many of you out there have been wondering what all the fuss is about. What's up with the "dots"? You know the little grey and brown rows that are imprinted on ONLY ONE side of the Procellera device. The dots that hold the bioelectric Prosit technology. Well those dots are very interesting little guys. Not only are they identical to the others of the same color (before use) , but upon activation with a conductive fluid, they come alive and start a game of catch! -- now not literally , but each pair of grey and brown dots form a micro-battery that releases electrons which travel from one dot to the other ..This current will continue until the one of two things occurs. Either the "battery" is dry and no longer activated .... or ... the source is used up. Fortunately, this is easy to determine when you look at the device. If its dry but dots still visible, just give it a drink  ... and if its just really faded from working non-stop for  days on end , the lights go off and the party is over ... (and please don't let them play for more than 7 days)  -- even if the dots look great .It's time to rotate the team roster and bring in the next group. This way you can be sure they will give you  a great workout.

Dots after several days

When the dot's lose their life spark and fade into the sunset, it's time for a change. Just keep an eye on those little powerhouses to be sure they are where they belong; in contact with the wound bed and skin edge . How will you know they are working ? That's easy -- but I can't give away all the answers .  You'll just have to try it and see for yourself .. and let me know how it goes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Procellera listed among Key Innovations in the US for Diabetic Foot Care

Greetings to all and happy December! Happy .............. ( insert your own holiday) to all and may the coming year bring peace, health, and happiness to you and those in your life.

Over the past few weeks we have been meeting and greeting and training our newest Procellera users and hearing about the wonderful results they are seeing in their practices. Reports from our clinical sites have been so exciting!  Successful outcomes in cases of hidradenitis, peristomal ulcerations, stalled wounds failing multiple treatments , trauma , venous stasis ,  diabetic foot ulcers and amputation wounds have been among the recent mix of glowing reports. Clinical confirmation of initiation of healing in stalled wounds as well as overall faster healing as compared to other modalities. We are looking forward to joining our newest clinicians at our HCA facilities where we will be participating in some exciting research and furthering our clinical knowledge of wound management.

And before you go - be sure to check out the link to the recent article in woundsinternational.com. where Procellera is listed  as one of the Key Innovations in the U.S. in Diabetic Foot Care.  
The article provides a wonderful organized approach to the management of diabetic foot ulcers which emphasizes the appropriate use of technology which is best suited for the individual phases of wound healing. Procellera is included as one of the novel modalities to consider in the management of these wounds .

For anyone interested in clinical training or a product introduction, please contact me ( click the envelope on the right hand border of the page )


Season's Greetings everyone!      
Linda


 

Call for Abstracts and Poster Presenters

Any clinicians interested in submitting their Procellera case studies for poster presentation or written case report for any of the upcoming wound care educational meetings, please let us know. Vomaris Innovations is looking for authors and Clinical Poster Presentations for the upcoming calendar year. For more information please contact me, Linda Worth RPA-C via this site or Amy Ho at amyho@vomaris.com. Selected individuals may qualify for sponsorship to the conference of their choice. Hurry, abstract deadlines are approaching.

  LINK for SAWC April 2011 : http://spring.sawc.net/abstract-submission

        

 LINK for WOCN meeting June 2011 : http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=9nvcxkcab amp;v=001IgkAmL3YG5tLT5vnw1jd16K4T0yNHOhpuiwGvpYa6leE5F6NCGXLPiPli9cUumW5TmNgQtCQxBX-fKj2BRvnZ31OfTqSEE2CYKIZcxkAKEc%3D

Have you had your WOW moment yet?

Hmmm, you think.. What are you asking?  I don't usually talk about my WOW moments with complete strangers. However,once you have experienced this feeling ( your WOW whatever) even you will want to share. Ok, so you still have no idea what I'm babbling about ... Well, if you work in wound care, I know you've had this happen to you . You remember, the patient(s) that just wouldn't heal.. You tried everything in your bag of tricks. You got a bigger bag of tricks..   but still nothing. But for those of you who are beginning to get where I'm going with this... you looked through the bag of samples from the last SAWC meeting (or insert your own conference) and you see a silver shimmering foil pouch which seemed to be speaking -
"try me" . Well, what do I have to lose? you think ,,, nothing else has worked-- why not give it a try ...   So you do ... and that's when it happened!
WOW! Maybe it was the patient telling you the wound wasn't so painful anymore. Or , it could have been the fact that after using all the tools on the shelf -- this one was really working ! Or maybe it happened  when you saw the healed wound and said to yourself -- WOW , that looks amazing ...  ooh there it is , that word - WOW . So now you see what the WOW moment is , and if you haven't had yours yet , what are you waiting for?  The "silver shimmering foil pouch"of Procellera is making its way to hospitals and clinics across the country. You can almost feel the "electricity" in the air.. So be on the lookout for your WOW moment when you join the ranks of Procellera users. And once you do -- please share your story here. Patients who have been healed using Procellera want their success stories to be told. So start unwrapping.....   and hurry !

The Posters are HERE!

Hi all.. I'm finally getting the hang of this and have actually (successfully) I think --(please let me know if I didn't)  linked the Clinical Posters to this growing site of resources for our new Procellera clinicians. Now just a word of warning if you happen to be perusing this site while sipping a double espresso at your favorite coffee wi-fi hot spot. This is where the warning about the "adult content" becomes IMPORTANT .. except - not even all adults will be able to tolerate the pictures on these posters .... hint... you may not want to look at these in public places where the person behind you will see and then the next thing you know is their coffee , is on your back and they have fainted and you will need to resuscitate one or more patrons...   You get the point?? 
So when you can (safely) view the posters, just keep in mind they are a bit graphic ... but then again -- if you are a wound care clinician you will appreciate that at least these are only pictures and you don't have to cover your nose ....  
If anyone needs to contact me directly ( and privately) - you may click on the "contact me" envelope icon on the right hand border  and send me a note. 
ALL FEEDBACK is WELCOME !!!

Enjoy !    
 Linda Worth RPA-C, CWS

Post-Webinar Survey and other helpful forms

Technology and I have a love -hate relationship. Last week we were definitely on the outs and so the forms that I thought would be easy to add to this site, didn't quite make it on... but , techno and me have had a bit of a reconciliation and at least we are on speaking terms now --- so..... Here we are--- forms, forms and more forms to view, print , e-mail  or whatever else suits your mood. Now the survey can easily be saved as a word file, and completed either on your computer OR by hand , the good old fashioned way . If you choose that method , then please mail ( via snail mail ) to Vomaris Wound Care
                                               3100 West Ray Road , Suite 148
                                              Chandler , Az  85226
Unless you are techno challenged, like I proudly admit to be --- you will probably find the electronic choices a whole lot easier...  Now that I am back on good terms with my computer , I'm off to see what other helpful additions I can add to this site ... Keep those cards and letters coming !  ( at this point I 'll  even take telemarketer who stumbled on this site by accident)

New Questions from the Audience

Here a some new questions that have been asked :

#5 Q. How small can Procellera be cut and still create a current?

   A. As long as a "pair of dots" is are intact -- the activated ( wet ) device will produce current. The device should however always be larger than the wound in order to achieve overlap of the edges -- in this setting, there is no piece that could be too small. Additional points related to this are :  

• cutting through a "dot" will not affect the device

•  multiple pieces may be patched together to adequately cover the wound surface.

*** cavity wounds should be treated with a single piece of Procellera in order to minimize the risk of "leaving" a piece behind .***

#6. Q. Can Procellera be used in combination with Enzymatic debriders ( ex.Santyl)?

        A.The effect of the enzyme on the device has not been studied, and for this reason , it is not recommended to combine the products. Procellera has been used on wounds with slough with some good results though the best results will come with a well prepared wound bed. Sharp debridement and/or ultrasonic irrigating devices for maintainance debridement are recommended as adjuncts to procellera use.

#7. Q. Can Procellera be used in conjunction with Oasis , Dermagraft and Apligraf?

       A. There have been many anecdotal reports on the successful use of Procellera with Oasis. I am not aware of anyone who may have attempted the combination of Procellera with Dermagraft and /or Apligraf. Currently , Vomaris does not recommend the combined use of Procellera with any of these dermal substitutes, though future research is expected to address these issues.

#8.Q. What is the experience using Procellera in clean surgical incisions ? 

      A. Procellera is indicated for surgical incisions and the clinical results reported from the field and Preliminary findings from several ongoing clinical trials has been excellent. There have been no wound infections to our knowledge among the clinicians who use Procellera routinely on their incisions. This includes several orthopedic surgeons who are using Procellera exclusively for their joint reconstruction incisions. A trial is currently underway to determine the effect on pain control, infection and return of functional status in patients with total shoulder arthroplasty using Procellera compared to Placebo.

 The effect of Procellera on scarring is being evaluated in an RCT looking at skin graft donor sites treated with half standard care ( opsite) and half Procellera . Preliminary results of this trial have shown significantly faster healing and superior scar appearance in comparison to standard care. The scientific evidence obtained in the study using Procellera on injured porcine skin, supported this clinical outcome. Histologic examination of the wounds revealed increased epithelial thickness, decreased eschar formation, and decreased neutrophil infiltration of the wounds treated with the bioelectric dressing in comparison to the control group. Studies were completed to examine genetic markers present in the healing tissue. The markers examined were: 1) The inflammatory cytokine interleukin‐1α (IL‐1α); 2) structural dermal collagen expression with COL‐1, the main component of mammalian skin; and 3) COL‐3, which is present in early phases of wound healing and typically replaced during wound maturation; 4) matrix metalloproteinase–9 (MMP‐9), an extracellular protease.

Early wound inflammation was reduced as indicated by down regulation of the levels of IL‐1α in the case of the bioelectric dressing compared to the polyester control side. Further, the IL‐1α expression peaked later in the case of the bioelectric dressing. These results are indicative of a delayed and suppressed inflammatory response with the bioelectric dressing. Reduced inflammation is associated with reduced pain and improved aesthetics in human wound healing. Similarly, the COL‐1, COL‐3 and MMP markers all indicated a favorable faster healing, with less scarring and better wound strength characteristics after application of Procellera compared to control areas. (For further scientific evidence please review our scientific summary by clicking the tab at the top of the blog posts -- )

 Anyone with something to add on these or other topics --- we'd love to hear from you. 

Procellera Post-Webinar Survey --- Now Available

Hello all ! If you are new to this site, welcome and please join as a follower. If you have seen one of our training webinars, we'd love to get your thoughts and feedback. Please email me and I'll send you  the survey form.  If you include your mailing address we will send you some goodies...
Any questions can be submitted through a post here OR if you prefer a less public forum -- send me your question(s) at   lworth@vomaris.com. 
           Come back and visit and share your experiences. After all , Procellera has been " under wraps " for way too long -it's  time to get the word out!

New Features Added

We've done a little redecorating to spice things up a bit -- nothing over the top I hope, but you be the judges...

Don't worry -- we're saving room for some great clinical cases and some fun features too. Who says learning has to be dull???

Questions from the audiences

Hello all . I will be posting as many of the clinical questions and their answers,  that have been brought to our attention so they will be easily accessible for all. For a complete listing of FAQ's please refer to our Field Guide which will be accessible through this site in the very near future.
The following are actual questions raised by clinicians in various practice settings.

#1. Q.  What is the recommended schedule for changing the dressing in wounds with eschar or bio-burden? 
      A.  Procellera may be left in place for up to 7 days at a time. This is a maximum recommendation and more frequent changes of either the cover dressings alone OR the Procellera as well as the cover dressings may be performed as clinically indicated . For example, some wounds will be highly exudative and may require frequent changing of the cover dressings -- yet the Procellera may be left intact. If the clinician would prefer to examine the wound bed more frequently as in the case of residual eschar or bio-burden , they may choose to change the Procellera as well. It is NOT RECOMMENDED to "rinse" the Procellera and replace the same piece once it has been fully removed from the surface. IT IS ACCEPTABLE to re-moisten the intact Procellera while it is still on the wound bed and then replace the secondary dressings. It is the experience of the clinician that should dictate the individual regimen for each patient. Factors such as drainage, odor and peri-wound concerns will all factor into the decision on how often the dressing should be changed.

#2 Q. Is saline required to moisten the Procellera or can plain water be used? 
     A. It is acceptable to use either sterile saline, sterile water or a sterile hydrogel to moisten the Procellera . The use of non-sterile liquids such as tap or bottled water have not been studied.

#3 Q.  Can Procellera be used on Radiated skin wounds ? 
      A. Yes . Radiated skin can be difficult to achieve healing due to the destruction of the normal architecture and relative ischemia of the tissue. As in all situations , close monitoring by the caregivers is recommended and if results are not as expected ,a change in management may be needed.

#4 Q. Can Procellera be used on  necrotic tumors?
      A. It is not recommended to use Procellera on a cancerous lesion that has not been fully treated. Following  a  surgical excision or resection of all the involved tissue , Procellera may be used for the resultant wounds.

New Wound Care Zaps Cuts Closed | Kit Up!

New Wound Care Zaps Cuts Closed | Kit Up!

How do you use Procellera?

Welcome to Procellera Unwrapped! For those of you who have used Procellera and know what it has done for your wound care practice, you can understand why it can't remain "under wraps", pun intended... So please share your stories . For those of you who are new to the bioelectric dressing, Procellera, I would invite you to view our introductory video and then post your comments and questions ... Don't worry, we don't bite and there is no such thing as silly question -- unless it never gets asked ( or happens to be intentionally funny..)
I wonder if the thunderstorm that just started outside is a message???

How Procellera Works