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This survey developed by Co-Investigators, Professor Jonathan Golledge and Dr Malindu Fernando on behalf of the UHEAL research group at James Cook University, Townsville Australia are interested in your feedback regarding hyperbaric oxygen therapy for lower limb wounds.
DETAILS:
The benefit of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for chronic wounds is controversial. In a recent systematic review of randomized controlled trials the overall findings suggest hyperbaric oxygen therapy is beneficial but they are highly dependent on one small highly positive trial which was not consistent with larger trials (see attached). The value of hyperbaric oxygen therapy therefore remains controversial. In this project we seek to obtain views on the value of hyperbaric oxygen therapy from a wide variety of practitioners as a means to clarify whether there is indeed controversy on its value as a possible based from a well-designed large randomized trial to clarify its exact role.
They are conducting this survey using SurveyMonkey, which means that the information collected in this survey will be transferred outside Australia and stored securely on SurveyMonkey’s servers. By volunteering to complete this survey you agree to this transfer. You can find out more about how SurveyMonkey handles your personal information here
Please complete the survey below regarding your practices of using hyper-baric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for chronic wounds.
The Coalition government has announced it will give a $1.3 million funding boost for the development of a ‘Foot Forward’ program. This program aims to help diabetics identify feet problems caused by diabetic foot disease. This promising news is a much needed step in the direction of ending avoidable amputations within a generation. So as we always say…watch this space!
After information to help your patients right now? Then it’s about time to check out our National Diabetes Week web page for the latest research, handy infographics and fact sheets.
To read more about the Foot Forward announcement click here
Australia tied for equal 5th with Sweden on the final medal count of the ‘Olympics of the Diabetic Foot’ held in the Netherlands last month.
What the?
Well, let us rephrase that, Australia presented the equal 5th highest number of scientific presentations at the 8th International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot (ISDF) just last month.
Still, what the? Well, ISDF has been informally known as the “Olympics of the Diabetic Foot” for a variety of reasons for over 20 years. And presenting your work at ISDF is the highest conference achievement in the diabetic foot world! So, now you get it, it’s like winning an Olympic diabetic foot medal!
Nope, still what the? OK, live a little, just go with us on this one and have a peak at the medal count below
Yep, that’s right 5th! See we knew you’d be exited too ????
We came equal 5th out of nearly 50 nations winning diabetic foot Olympic medals and over 100 nations who were at the Olympics! We came in behind the global diabetic foot research powerhouses of the US (1st), UK (2nd), Netherlands (3rd) and Italy (4th), but in front of Denmark (7th), China (8th), France (9th) and Ireland/Brazil (tied 10th). And we would have come outright 5th, if A/Prof Jaap van Netten (AKA “Aussie Jaap”) Gold and Silver medal presentations of his Australian work were included in our count!
What do the medals even mean?
Well, in keeping with the Olympics theme, we reckon a Gold medal at the Diabetic Foot Olympics is like being specifically invited to present your work at ISDF by ISDF (inc plenary lecture, mini-symposium lecture, workshop). A Silver medal is like having your work accepted by ISDF to present on the podium in one of the rare oral abstract sessions. And considering how many abstracts are rejected by ISDF, having your work accepted to present in a poster abstract session is probably akin to a Bronze medal.
So, who got our medals?
Well as you can see Australia achieved 1 Gold medal via our reigning ‘Olympic champion’, Prof Rob Fitridge in the Peripheral artery disease categories. We also got 4 Silvers, 1 from Dr Joel Lasschuit in the Charcot, and 3 from Dr Pete Lazzarini presenting/accepting on behalf of Dr Mal Fernando in Gait, Dr Christina Parker in Organisation and Ms Yuqi Zhang in the Epidemiology categories.
And lastly, but certainly not leastly, we got 15 Bronze medals across a variety of categories and people, including two each from Ms Pam Chen, Dr Guill Pena, Dr Nat Wischer, Dr Mal Fernando, and one each for Dr Byron Perrin, Miss Jill Featherston, Ms Lucia Michailidis, Ms Tracey Kaczmarek, Miss Ana Andric, Dr Frances Henshaw and Dr Pete Lazzarini. All our medal winner’s presentation titles can be found here.
Are you serious?
OK we admit it, this was a little bit of fun, but it does have a serious side too. What it shows is that Australia is fast becoming one of the rising stars of global diabetic foot research coming from outside the Top 10 nations at the last Diabetic Foot Olympics (7th ISDF in 2015) to be in the Top 5 nations this time.
And this is a pretty good indication that Australia is well on the way to achieving one of our primary objectives of empowering Australia to become a leading nation in diabetic foot disease management.
But, now it’s up to all of us to pull together even more, build on this momentum and collectively produce even more globally-recognised work over the next 4 years. And hopefully at the 9th Diabetic Foot Olympics in 2023, we can turn a few of our Silvers and Bronzes into Gold medal presentations, plus, beat those Italians and move closer to the Big 3 diabetic foot nations; the US, UK and Netherlands.
But, after all that, OK you are right, this is not really about winning medals or delivering presentations. What each of these presentations actually represents is a new globally-important diabetic foot fact, test or treatment, each of which brings us one step closer to meaning our patients can avoid amputations and collectively as a nation we can finally end avoidable amputations within a generation. That’s what this is actually about, ending amputations and this is another big step towards doing that!
Did you forget something?
Don’t forget, our very own “Down Under Diabetic Foot Olympics” in Brisbane in September, DFA 2019!
This is the same DFA 2019 where you will interact with oodles of globally-recognised diabetic foot research from the 5th best diabetic foot nation in the world …. no not Sweden, us, Australia ????!
And if that doesn’t quite do it for you, we have 4 international keynote speakers coming as well. And we can now say that they collectively won 10 Gold medals at this year’s Olympics in the categories of prevention, wound healing, infection, offloading, surgery, emergencies, translation and guidelines.
Our international keynotes also each come from one of the Big 3 diabetic foot nations, and one of them was even the Michael Phelps of this year’s Diabetic Foot Olympics winning the most outstanding researcher/clinician award for the whole Olympics. Yep, we have the diabetic foot Michael Phelps.
And if you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know who? They are Prof Larry Lavery (US), Prof Fran Game (UK), and A/Prof Jaap van Netten (Netherlands). And we have a fourth mystery international keynote Prof from another European nation to be announced very shortly along with much, much more!
Who was Michael Phelps of the Diabetic Foot Olympics?
Prof Lavery (US) of course! He was this year’s very prestigious Karel Bakker award winner for the most outstanding global diabetic foot researcher/clinician (“athlete”) of the last 4 years, AKA Michael Phelps.
Go on you know you want too ????
So seriously people, now is the time to book for our very own “Down Under Diabetic Foot Olympics” before it sells out. And you’ll be joining 400 of your closest Australian diabetic foot friends for an absolute global diabetic foot festival in sunny Brisvegas in Sept!
So hit the button, claim it back on tax and register for DFA 2019 today.
The new IWGDF global diabetic foot disease guidelines were officially launched at the International Symposium of the Diabetic Foot last week in the Netherlands.
These guidelines have been the gold standard diabetic foot guidelines for over 20 years, are updated every 4 years, and this time used 10 systematic reviews and 49 global experts to write. Simply put, no other diabetic foot guideline on the planet comes close to the quality and breadth of the IWGDF guideline.
With 87 evidence-based practice recommendations and 44 future research priorities across 8 chapters and 194 pages, the new 2019 guidelines contain everything known to (wo)man on prevention, offloading, peripheral artery disease, infection, wound healing and ulcer classification.
For anyone treating or researching diabetic foot disease these should become your ‘diabetic foot practice bible’ and can be found right here. And in case you’re wondering, “what’s new?”, well from our quick review at least a third of all recommendations are completely new compared with the 2015 guidelines. So, if you want to know exactly what’s new and how this affects you, we suggest you watch this space over the coming months ;).
And it gets even better, because we’re bringing at least 7 of those 49 global experts who wrote the 2019 IWGDF guidelines to sunny Brisvegas for the DFA 2019 Conference. So book before the end of June and add your receipt to your tax deductions pile!
DFA 2019 is shaping up to be a spectacular conference with a location, and now a hotel to match! The stunning Art Series ‘Fantauzzo’ hotel has now opened onsite at Howard Smith Wharves and we have a special DFA Conference rate available.
Taking inspiration from its namesake, acclaimed Australian painter Vincent Fantauzzo, (also husband to Asher Keddie for those Offspring fans) and featuring original artworks, glicée prints of Fantauzzo’s most recognisable works, contemporary furnishings, and a stunning rooftop bar and pool — this is the conference hotel experience to remember.
With a 30 second stroll across the grass to reach the DFA conference, an array of restaurants and even an over-water bar at your doorstep, even those living in Brisbane might be tempted!
The Art Series Fantauzzo Hotel is offering their Studio Suites to DFA Conference attendees for $205 per room/per night.
To reserve your Studio Suite:
1. Call Fantauzzo Hotel Reservations on 1300 114 031
2. Advise you are booking as part of the DFA Conference (DFA2019)
3. A credit card is required as a ‘guarantee’ when booking
4. Payment is then made when checking into the hotel
Please note, a limited number of twin rooms are available and should be requested when booked. For more information about the hotel – click here!
We also have some fantastic hotel/apartment options a few minutes walk away from Howard Smith Wharves – with details available on our conference webpage.
Did you know that our 2017 DFA conference abstract sessions where voted one of the top conference highlights?
Researchers with results from original work in the field of diabetic foot disease are encouraged to submit an abstract for the 2019 Diabetes Feet Australia Conference. Successful submissions are provided the opportunity to deliver an oral presentation during one of the four abstract sessions across the two day conference. These sessions are an important part of DFA 2019, as they show the newest and brightest research works from around Australia and internationally.
All abstracts will be reviewed by our scientific committee. We will be looking for abstracts that display high-quality original research with relevance for clinical practice, now and into the future. All abstracts selected for presentation compete for the “DFA conference 2019 best abstract award”.
IMPORTANT DATES
A PERSPECTIVE published today by the Medical Journal of Australia, tackles Australia’s least known major health problem – diabetic foot disease.
It is Australia’s leading cause of amputation, and we have the second highest diabetes-related amputation rate among OECD countries, with the authors, led by Dr Peter Lazzarini, co-Chair of Diabetes Feet Australia, saying that was “partially attributed to the lack of coordinated interdisciplinary DFD services in Australia”.
Diabetes Feet Australia has recently launched the Australian diabetes-related foot disease strategy 2018–2022: the first step towards ending avoidable amputations within a generation. The strategy outlines nine key recommendations which “should put Australia firmly on an evidence-based pathway”.
Lazzarini and colleagues called on “Australian health professionals, researchers and governments to finally act. Investments in this plan should ensure not only a significant financial return on investment to the health budget but, more importantly, save the limbs and lives of Australians.”
Here at DFA, we look forward to the uptake of this strategy, and monitoring the positive steps the Australian DFD community takes on the pathway towards ending avoidable amputations in a generation. With diabetic foot disease now a leading global condition when it comes to numbers of people affected, doctors’ visits, hospital admissions, amputations, death and now disability, it is well and truly over-time for everyone to put feet first
Click to access MJA Perspective
Click to access MJA Podcasts 2018 Episode 84: Diabetic foot disease, with Dr Peter Lazzarini
Download the Australian diabetes-related foot disease strategy 2018-2022
Download the Australian diabetes-related foot disease strategy 2018-2022 infographic
CREDIT: The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
The Limbs4Life team would like to invite you and your team to take part in this year’s campaign by encouraging everyone to wear a ribbon and show support for amputees during Awareness Week 4 – 11 October!
To support this campaign Limbs 4 Life has ribbons, flyers and posters, to promote the event. Set up an awareness board in your facility and get your staff wearing ribbons.
After more info? Click here
Queenslanders with diabetes who have high risk foot concerns will receive treatment earlier, thanks to a $17.5 million state-wide funding boost.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles said the funding would increase service availability across Queensland, over the next four years, to reduce hospitalisations and amputations.
“High Risk Foot Clinics work with patients to manage foot complications, such as Diabetic Foot Disease, which is caused by a lack of feeling and lack of circulation or blood supply to the feet,” Minister Miles said.
“The disease can affect people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and is one of the top 20 leading causes of hospitalisation in Australia. In severe cases, it can lead to amputation or even death.
“Prevention is always the key – 85 per cent of these amputations are preventable if the disease is detected early and managed appropriately.
“This funding boost will ensure patients can do just that, by giving them better access to a multi-disciplinary team of podiatrists, physicians, surgeons, nurses and other allied health professionals,” Minister Miles said.
This funding investment is fantastic for Queensland and here at DFA, we look forward to seeing similar investments in diabetic foot disease across the nation to bring us closer to ending avoidable amputations in a generation.
South Western Sydney Local Health District recently announced the awarding of a $2.25 million grant for the creation of the South West Sydney Limb Preservation and Wound Research Academic Unit to investigate diabetic foot wounds.
Dr Matthew Malone, the Director of Research for the Unit, said, “We are incredibly excited to receive the honour of this grant and aim to use it to undergo research that truly makes a difference to save limbs and lives not only in South West Sydney but across the nation and the globe“
Dr Malone went on to say “The vision of the academic unit is two-fold. Firstly, to become world leaders in the respective fields of limb preservation and wound research through undertaking high-quality sustainable research through nurturing local talent. And secondly, translate our research findings into improving the care of people in South Western Sydney (locally) and more widely at a global level.
“By achieving our vision we hope to reduce avoidable amputations, excel and be leaders in limb preservation and wound research and improve the quality of life of people in South West Sydney and wider”, Dr Malone concluded.
South Western Sydney LHD said they recognised the importance of addressing local health needs, and as such this has highlighted the requirement to invest substantially in limb preservation and wound research. Researchers in South Western Sydney have a reputation for high quality health research that improves the health outcomes of people living in the local communities of South West Sydney. The health district has demonstrated a commitment to building upon the high-quality research undertaken in South Western Sydney, in addition to developing the infrastructure which underpins the ability to undertake any form of health associated research.
We at DFA congratulate Matthew and his team for such a wonderful achievement and we hope this is one of several similar investments in diabetic foot research and clinical practice across many more regions of Australia over the next few years to bring us closer to ending avoidable amputations in a generation.
If you have had similar success and want to get the news out to the rest of the Australian diabetic foot community please let us know here