Abstract:

Material used in traditional wound care was not everywhere a part of hospital pharmacies' assortment, unless impregnated by disinfectants. The situation has changed in the past few years following the commercial availability of modern wound care methods and dressings, e.g. alginates, polyurethanes, films, etc. It will change even further the more growth factors will be used in wound therapy. Hospital pharmacists will have to face the new challenges, hopes, and chances arising from newly introduced growth factors, e.g. becaplermin, palifermin, repifermin, etc.

In this seminar, latest research findings on cellular mechanisms of angiogenesis, cytoprotection, and keratinocyte migration into wounded tissues are presented. In addition, common pathways to both wound care and tyrosine kinase inhibitors used in oncology are discussed. From a practice point of view, multidisciplinary approaches implemented in a leading wound care center are presented and light shed on the role assigned to hospital pharmacists in such a wound care team.

Teaching goals:

• to update delegates with new trends and latest commercially available growth factors for wound care
• to present the mechanisms of action of growth factors in angiogenesis, cytoprotection, and keratinocyte migration
• to compare common reaction pathways of growth factors used in wound care and growth factor inhibitors in oncology

After the presentation the participant should:

• be able to meet the emerging challenges for hospital pharmacy in the wound care domain
• recognize the emerging importance of modern wound care approaches and growth factors 
• be able to review his role in a multidisciplinary wound care team according to the wound care center model presented