Educational Report

Bridging the Gap: Advanced Wound Care Practice in Colombia

10/16/2018

BACKGROUND: Chronic, hard-to-heal wounds are a worldwide epidemic. As such, there is substantial need to establish and train clinicians in wound and hyperbaric medicine across the globe. Partnerships created between centers and those outside the United States are enriching for all the participating clinicians.

OBJECTIVE: This work examines the challenges and implementation of successful wound healing strategies employed in a wound and hyperbaric center in Bogota, Colombia.

CHALLENGES: The major challenges faced by the center are the large numbers of patients without financial resources, an overall lack of insurance coverage, limited access to transportation, and a general lack of knowledge in the medical community about wound care. Similar to centers in the United States, the majority of ulcers are venous followed by diabetic foot ulcers. Additionally, there are ulcers unique to this region, such as foreign modeling agent reagent (FMAR), resulting from the subcutaneous injection of industrial-grade silicone. Free-standing wound clinics are still a very new concept and only a few hospitals provide wound care.

PATH TO PRODUCTIVITY: A systematic multidisciplinary approach to development and implementation of a wound care research program is essential to expand wound care offerings to patients who otherwise would not have access to novel therapies. The authors’ group partnered with a center for advanced wound healing in Bogota, Colombia, to exchange ideas, collaborate on multinational clinical trials, and provide educational support. The center offers advanced modalities such as ultrasound debridement, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, platelet-rich plasma, and nutritional counseling. The collaboration brings together knowledge, skill, and experience to provide comprehensive care for complex wounds.

CONCLUSIONS: Through this meaningful exchange, the authors have been able to foster a culture of research, encouraging an environment of perpetual learning, engaging patients in decision-making, and improving wound care outcomes.

CITATION
Serena T, Alba Alarcón F, Yaakov R. Bridging the gap: advanced wound care practice in Colombia. Poster presented at: Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall; November 2-4, 2018; Las Vegas, NV.

Products: Not available

This abstract was not subject to the WOUNDS peer-review process.

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