Diabetic Ulcers & Defects Concern Mounts for Healthcare Professionals as the Obesity Epidemic Grows

Thanks to the great numbers of fast food restaurants, the continuing trend of drinking sugary drinks plus a lack of exercise, the obesity epidemic has become both a health problem and a social problem for America. Simply put, Americans are eating too much and moving too little. Research has shown that sixty-four percent of the population-or 123 million Americans-- are overweight or obese.

Such high ratio of obesity and poor dietary practices certainly helps explain why there are an estimated 20.8 million people-- 7 percent of the overall population-- with diabetes. That figure has caused increasing concerns in the healthcare field for the number of diabetic ulcers and defects.

About 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage. Almost 30 percent of people with diabetes aged 40 years or older have impaired sensation in the feet (i.e., at least one area that lacks feeling).Severe forms of diabetic nerve disease are a major contributing cause of lower-extremity amputations.

One of the unfortunate side-effect caused by diabetes is diabetic ulcers or defects, which are a result of injuries that go untreated due to a loss of sensation and feeling in the lower extremities, particularly the feet. These non-healing wounds are very difficult to treat as they are often characterized by a combination of infection and poor circulation. As a result careful, specialized treatment is recommended for diabetic ulcers and defects.

Unfortunately traditional wound treatments using improper dressings may not be as effective as desired. A key factor for successful treatment is to choose the right dressings. The Bauer Bandage is a sorption dressing made of activated carbon textile. It consists of two layers, one active - black sorbent, one inactive vehicle. What is special about the sorbent is that it is an elastic textile, thermally processed cellulose hydrate fabric with a macroscopic smooth surface, which is made by a special processing technology: carbonization under the temperature of several hundred degrees below zero.

The Bauer Bandage can intercept micro-organisms actively and help prevent secondary infections. It also has deodorant effects and helps promote healing of treated areas. It is not toxic, has no undesirable side effects or reactions in the defect area and adapts well to the defect's surface.

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