NPUAP
The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) will present several awards at its biennial national conference, February 25 to 26, 2005, in Tampa, FL. Nominations are now being accepted for the following awards:
* Thomas Stewart Founder's Award- Individuals or groups who have made a significant contribution to the prevention and/or management of pressure ulcers through leadership in public policy are eligible for this award. The award is named in honor of Dr Thomas Stewart, whose vision, leadership, and support resulted in the creation of the NPUAP in 1987.Deadline for nomination packets is Friday, October 29, 2004. Nomination requirements are listed on the NPUAP Web site.
* Kosiak Award- Named in honor of Dr Michael Kosiak, whose classic work contributed to understanding of the etiology of pressure ulcers, this award is intended to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the prevention and/or management of pressure ulcers through their leadership in the areas of research, education, and/or patient care. Nomination requirements are listed on the NPUAP Web site.
* Research Award- The NPUAP fosters and supports research on pressure ulcer prevention and treatment. The organization provides small grant awards ($1,500) to novice researchers from any health care or basic science discipline. The deadline for proposal submission is November 1, 2004. The program announcement and application form are posted on the NPUAP Web site.
In addition, the NPUAP is soliciting poster abstracts for presentation at the conference. General poster proposal information and guidelines are posted on the NPUAP Web site.
Information: http://www.npuap.org; 703-464-4849.
APWCA
The American Professional Wound Care Association (APWCA) will hold its annual national conference, Wound Care and the Related Sciences, from March 31 to April 2, 2005, at the newly renovated Hilton Philadelphia Airport Hotel, Philadelphia, PA.
The conference will feature nearly 30 multidisciplinary faculty members presenting cutting-edge information on wound management. Interactive panel discussions are also planned. Topics to be presented include diabetic foot ulcers and Charcot arthropathy; vascular ulcers: arterial vs. venous; wound infection and osteomyelitis; debridement, including alternative techniques for surgical debridement; off-loading; proper selection of wound dressings; biochemistry of wound healing; obesity and diabetes; and developing a wound care practice.
Information: http://www.apwca.org;[email protected]; 215-364-4100.
WOCN
The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) has released its Guideline for Management of Patients with Lower-Extremity Neuropathic Disease. It is the third in a series of 4 documents relating to wound care to be released in 2 years. This clinical practice guideline is intended for health care professionals specializing in wound care for patients with lower-extremity neuropathic disease.
Developed by a panel representing a wide range of experience and clinical practice backgrounds, the guideline is based on 174 articles and offers research-based clinical information, with the goal of improved, cost-effective patient outcomes. A level-of-evidence rating has been assigned to specific recommendations based on the rating system used by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Information: http://www.wocn.org
AAWM
The American Academy of Wound Management (AAWM) Board has opened the Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) examination to wound care professionals from Canada. Candidates licensed in Canada will be eligible to sit for the next CWS exam, October 16, 2004. AAWM's move to open the exam to Canadians was in response to numerous requests from potential candidates outside of the United States. Prior to this, the exam was restricted to citizens of the United States and its territories.
Information: http://www.aawm.org
EWMA
The European Wound Management Association (EWMA) has developed its third position document to address factors that influence healing and why many wounds fails to heal even with the highest standards of care. Titled "Wound Bed Preparation in Practice," the document's objective is to advance understanding of wound bed preparation by examining how the 4 components of the TIME model (Tissue management, Inflammation and infection control, Moisture balance, and Epithelial advancement) translate to the practical management of different wound types.
This document, developed with an educational grant from Smith & Nephew, will be published in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. It is also available on the EWMA Web site.
Information: http://www.ewma.org