New technology ‘lights up’ bacteria in wounds for better infection prevention

Over 6.5 million Americans experience chronic wounds—wounds that do not heal after a few months. Almost all such wounds contain bacteria, which—if not detected and removed—can lead to severe infection and resulting complications, including amputation if a limb is involved. This is especially true for patients with diabetic foot ulcers (open sores), which affects one-third of people with diabetes. Approximately 20% of those who develop a diabetic foot ulcer will require a lower-extremity amputation, according to the American Diabetes Association. When physicians debride (clean out) a wound, they remove as much bacteria as possible. However, they face one key limitation—not Read More