Presentations in this focus meeting were by invitation from the EPUAP Scientific Committee. However this was an open meeting for which participants from academia, health services and industry could register. There were approximately 50 participants – a mixed international audience of scientists, clinicians and industry. The twelve international companies that were represented included the largest in the chronic wound field.

Leading guest scientists who presented were from Europe (UK, the Netherlands, France and Portugal) and included: Prof. Jane Nixon, University of Leeds; Dr. Nicole Papen-Botterhuis, TNO the Netherlands; Prof. Miguel Carvalho, University of Minho, Portugal; Prof. Susan Gibbs, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam; Prof. Dan Bader, University of Southampton; Prof. Michael Clark, University of Birmingham; Prof. Yohan Payan, Université Joseph-Fourier, Grenoble; Prof. Cees Oomens, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. Several leading Israeli clinicians presented as well as senior Israeli scientists from Tel Aviv University and other universities.

Download the Scientific Programme from this Focus Meeting.

In recent years we have seen 'Stop Pressure Ulcer Days' occurring in Spanish-speaking countries and last year these organisations created a Declaration in Rio speaking out against people developing pressure ulcers. In 2012 there will again be a Stop Pressure Ulcer Day to be held on November 16th 2012. The European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel applauds the efforts of such events to bring pressure ulcers to the public, the professionals and our politicians. EPUAP has decided to join the Stop Pressure Ulcer Day to help publicise pressure ulcers. To this end we will prepare and make freely available publicity material on our website over the spring and summer.

As a first start we have provided here both the Declaration of Rio and the proposed logo for the Stop Pressure Ulcer Day and would be delighted if you also wanted to participate on November 16th 2012 to help bring pressure ulcers to a wider audience.

Keep watching the EPUAP website for news about this important day.

Download a copy of the Declaration of Rio, in English and/or a higher resolution copy of the Declaration in Rio logo.

19th – 21st September, 2012; Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel, Cardiff, UK

Topics to be covered:

• International ‘No Pressure Ulcer day’
• The new PUCLAS classification on line tool
• Microclimate and moisture lesions,
• Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD),
• New technologies in pressure ulcer treatment
• Scientific developments in pressure ulceration
• Pressure ulcer prevention therapies
• Pressure ulcer guideline implementation: clinical drivers versus financial drivers
• International guideline adaptation – the Belgian, Netherlands & UK experience
• Superficial VS deep infection in pressure ulcers, diagnosis and management.
• Pain and pressure ulcers

Joint Key session: EWMA collaboration

Live link to Cardiff Complex Wound Clinic – complex wound management in action

Workshops

• Sacral pressure ulcers – diagnosis, prevention and treatment
• Pressure ulcer debridement
• Pressure ulcers in palliative care
• Physical modalities for treating pressure ulcers
• How to compare pressure ulcer frequencies within quality improvement contexts
• Pressure ulcer aetiology

In addition there will be a student paper competition, free papers and posters including oral poster session (closing date 30th April, 2012) and a special 'meet the industry' session. The presentations throughout the conference will be in the English language.

The European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP) Novice and Experienced Investigator Awards for 2012

As an authority that leads pressure ulcer research in Europe as well as internationally, the EPUAP recognizes leadership and contributions to pressure ulcer research by awarding two prizes each year at its annual meeting:

• The EPUAP Novice Investigator Award
  Awarded to a researcher at an early career stage
• The EPUAP Experienced Investigator Award
  Awarded for a significant, internationally-recognized contribution to pressure ulcer research

Both prizes are awarded for either basic science or clinical science achievements, and reflect accomplishments that clearly contribute to advancing the field. The prizes are awarded by the President of EPUAP at the Annual Conference Dinner. Laureates of the EPUAP Novice and Experienced Investigator Awards will give talks at the EPUAP Annual Conference following the Award Notification, in a special plenary session named "The EPUAP Novice and Experienced Investigator Award Lectures". Each talk should be approximately 25 minutes.

Call for free paper and poster abstracts

Extended Deadline: May 30th, 2012

You are warmly invited to submit abstracts on any aspect of pressure ulcer prevention and management including research, clinical issues and best practice for presentation at this meeting. The subject should preferably reflect the theme of the meeting.

EPUAP will continue with the two successful new initiatives launched in the previous annual meeting – oral poster presentations and student free paper session.

The authors of abstracts accepted for poster presentation will be invited to exhibit their poster and in addition present their work to the delegates via 3 minute oral session as part of the main program, in a brief presentation aimed at promoting their posters and attracting potentially interested audience. However this is not obligatory for individuals who would not wish to take up this opportunity. There will be an award for the best poster which will be presented by the President of the EPUAP at the Gala Dinner.

There will be a free paper session on the main program for graduate students who wish to present their research studies. There will be an award for the best student free paper which will be presented by the President of EPUAP at the Gala Dinner.

Individuals may submit more than one abstract.

Please send your abstract to epuap@aol.com with a copy to reachtrudieyoung@gmail.com, before the closing date of 30th May, 2012 using the attached template.

In your cover e-mail, please specify whether your entry is submitted preferably as an oral or poster presentation, and if you are entering the abstract for the student free paper category.

If submitting an abstract for the student free paper category please also enclose with your submission a formal confirmation of studentship status (e.g. scan of signed letter from supervisor or an institutional approval) which specifies the degree towards which studies are carried out.

All submissions will be peer-reviewed by the scientific committee of EPUAP and you will be informed of the outcome of your application by early June 2012. The scientific committee will make an effort to comply with author's preference of oral or poster presentation of accepted abstracts.

All successful applicants will be required to book as a delegate to the conference and pay the registration fee, as a condition for inclusion of their abstract in the program.

Downloads

• EPUAP 2012 – Postal Registration Form – updated 21/03/2012
• EPUAP 2012 – Flyer & Postal Registration Form – updated 21/03/2012
• EPUAP 2012 – Call For Abstracts
• EPUAP 2012 – Abstract Template

Accommodation

At Conference venue – Mercure Holland House Hotel & Spa – single occupancy with breakfast £95.00/ or £105.00 double occupancy with breakfast.

To book your accommodation at a preferential rate please go to:
https://www.conferencebookings.co.uk/delegate/CDFEPUAP2012.

Further information:

• Event

  • EventTitle: 15th Annual European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Meeting
  • Event Code: CDFEPAUP2012
  • Event Location: Mercure Holland House Hotel, Cardiff
  • Link to New Reservations: https://www.conferencebookings.co.uk/delegate/CDFEPAUP2012
  • Event From Date: Wed Sep 19 00:00:00 BST 2012
  • Event To Date: Fri Sep 21 00:00:00 BST 2012

• Accommodation

  • Accommodation From Date: 17 Sep 2012
  • Accommodation To Date: 23 Sep 2012

• Reservations:

  • Delegate Contact: Cheryl Walker
  • Delegate Contact Telephone Number: 029 2087 1023
  • Reservation Deadline: 11 Sep 2012

There are also a number of other hotels within a very short walking distance of the Conference venue available at a wide range of prices.

1st Focus Meeting in a Planned Series of EPUAP Bi-Annual Focus Meetings

• April 16-17, 2012
• Engineering Auditorium, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Local Organizer: Prof. Amit Gefen
  Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University

Download the Scientific Programme (Final).

This first EPUAP Focus Meeting is a 2-day meeting aimed at exchanging knowledge between scientists, clinicians and R&D as well as marketing personnel in companies in regard to the latest technologies for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. This focus meeting is also intended to identify technological gaps and clinical needs, and will lead to the establishment of a long-lasting, EPUAP-supported academia-industry network in the pressure ulcer field.

Presentations in this focus meeting will be by invitation from the EPUAP Scientific Committee. This will be an open meeting however, to which participants from academia, health services and industry can register via the EPUAP business office (see meeting pamphlet for information on how to register).

Particular benefits for participants from the industry would be:

1. Receiving an overview of current research and development trends in academia in regard to a spectrum of technologies in the pressure ulcer field.
2. Identifying potential opportunities for commercialization of inventions and technologies that are still at the research lab phase.
3. Opportunities to network with scientists who can later become ad-hoc consultants to companies on specific projects according to the individual specialization.

Benefits for the participating scientists and clinicians would be:

1. Receiving an overview of current trends in commercialized technology in the pressure ulcer field as well as of needs and technological gaps identified by the industry.
2. Opportunities for commercialization of inventions and technologies which are still at the research lab phase.

Hence, this is a unique opportunity, meeting the interests of scientists/clinicians and companies alike.

Specific aims of the 1st EPUAP focus meeting are to:

1. Provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in pressure ulcer prevention and treatment technology which is currently being developed at research labs internationally in the academia.
2. Provide opportunities for scientists and companies to work together towards commercialization of technologies – starting at an early stage of development of the technology – and in particular, to jointly shape the course of R&D so that it meets true clinical needs and bridges actual gaps which have been identified by the industry.
3. Provide a nice atmosphere and sufficient time for informal discussions, and encourage follow-up contacts between scientists and companies such as for commercialization of technologies, consultation projects for companies etc.

Overall, in this 1st EPUAP Focus Meeting we aim at starting a close and long-lasting dialogue between scientists and companies who are active in the pressure ulcer field, which will ultimately lead to improvements in the technologies developed at the academia – through feedback from industry at an early stage of the R&D process. The present focus meeting will therefore create a win-win situation for the invited scientists and companies alike, as it is designed to meet the needs of both.

Delegates will be clinicians involved in chronic wounds and particularly pressure ulcer care, who would like to learn about the most recent technologies for prevention, diagnosis and treatment – most of which is still at the research lab phase, as well as scientists who are actively researching these topics and R&D as well as marketing personnel from relevant companies. Opinion leaders and senior clinicians in the Israeli medical community should attend as well.

Some example topics to be covered on the program of the 1st Focus Meeting are:

• Biomarkers for pressure ulcers
• Technologies for wound measurements
• Technologies and devices for preventing pressure ulcers
• Sensors and fabrics for pressure ulcer prevention
• Cushioning and support surface technology
• Technologies to protect amputation patients from pressure ulcers
• Smart dressing materials
• Electrical stimulation and electromagnetic therapies
• Imaging of deep pressure ulcers
• Tissue engineering based treatments of pressure ulcers
• High-throughput screening of wound therapies
• Design of clinical trials for testing medical devices in the field of pressure ulcers
• Transfer of medical device technology from the academia to the industry

Poster Session

At this time, we would like to invite submissions of abstracts for poster presentations at the 1st EPUAP Focus Meeting. Abstracts should be formatted using the EPUAP Abstract Template made for this meeting and be submitted via e-mail to the EPUAP Business Office with a CC to the Local Organizer, Prof. Amit Gefen.

Presentation of an abstract at the Focus Meeting is only possible for duly registered authors, though the process of registration could be completed once a decision regarding acceptance has been made and communicated to the corresponding author.

Please be aware that submissions which do not demonstrate a strong element of either basic science or development of technologies in the pressure ulcer arena, or regarding chronic wounds at large, are unlikely to be accepted for presentation. A submitted abstract should therefore state clearly how the reported work concerns basic science work or development of technologies to prevent, diagnose or treat pressure ulcers (or chronic wounds in general).

• Deadline for Abstract Submission to the 1st Focus Meeting: January 31st 2012.
• Decision notifications will be sent to authors by February 15th 2012.

Technical queries regarding the submission of abstracts should be sent to the EPUAP Business Office, and questions regarding contents should be addressed to Prof. Gefen.

Contacts:

EPUAP Business Office:

Dr. George Cherry
14 Aston Street,
Oxford OX4 1EP, UK

E-mail: epuap@aol.com

Tel / Fax: +44 (0)1865 791725

Local organizer:

Prof. Amit Gefen
Dept. of Biomedical Engineering,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

E-mail: gefen@eng.tau.ac.il

Tel +972-3-6408093, Fax. +972-3-6405845

Download the Scientific Programme (Final).

Fourteenth Annual European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Meeting
Pressure Ulcer Research Achievements Translated to Clinical Guidelines

31st August – 2nd September, 2011; Oporto-Portugal

Wednesday, August 31st

10.00 – 13.00 Registration, setting up of posters, check in Powerpoint presentations to Audio Visual staff

Auditorium

Chair – Dr Cees W.J. Oomens, The Netherlands, President of EPUAP
13.00 – 13.15 Conference opening ceremony – Dr Cees W.J. Oomens,

Theme – Pressure ulcers the clinical and financial problem
13.15 – 13.45 Epidemiology of pressure ulcers in Portugal – the current position
Paulo Alves, Gaia, Portugal
13.45 – 14.15 Pressure ulcers: the economic impact
José Verdú Soriano, Pain
14.15 – 14.45 The cost of pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in intensive care units.
Melanie Andrade, Portugal
14.45 – 15.15 The economic impact of repositioning to prevent pressure ulcers
Dr Zena Moore, Dublin, Ireland
15.15 – 16.00 Poster viewing
16.00 – 16.45 Coffee and exhibition viewing

16.45 – 17.15 Introduction to the investigator awards
Prof. Amit Gefen, Israel (Chair)

17.15 – 17.45 EPUAP Established Investigator Award Lecturer
Pressure Ulcers – Can biomechanical research inform clinical practice?
Professor Dan Bader, Southampton, UK

17.45 – 18.15 EPUAP Novice Investigator Award:
Pressure Ulcer Prevention: Evidence-Based tool development and tailored protocol implementation to improve clinical practice
Dimitri Beeckman, London, UK

18.30 – 19.30 Welcome drinks reception and exhibition opening

Thursday, September 1st

Morning sessions

08.30 Coffee and exhibition viewing

Auditorium

Theme – Pressure ulcers – scientific developments
9.00 – 10.00 Mathematical models to describe wound healing and wound contraction
Prof Fred Vermolen, Delft, The Netherlands
10.00 – 10.30 Wound models in monolayer cell cultures, quantitative analysis of cell kinematics
Prof Amit Gefen, Tel Aviv, Israel
10.30 – 11.00 Elastography and fragile tissues
Prof Lynne Bilston, New South Wales, Australia

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee and exhibition viewing

Parallel sessions
Room A4 (200 people capacity )
11.30 – 12.30 Industry introductions
Room A4 (200 people capacity )
12.30 – 14.00 Hill Rom Workshop
Developments in microclimate management

Room B4 (200 people capacity)
12.30 – 13.30 Free papers 1

Room HT (100 people capacity)
12.30 -13.30 Pressure Ulcer Classification workshop

13.30 – 14.30 Lunch and exhibition viewing
13.30 – 13.45 EPUAP Annual General Meeting

Afternoon sessions

Auditorium
Announcement of poster winner
Theme – Pressure ulcer assessment & treatment
14.30 – 15.00 Pressure ulcer assessment
Prof Marco Romanelli, Pisa, Italy
15.00 – 15.30 Tissue engineered skin for pressure ulcer treatment and repair
Dr Sue Gibbs, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Parallel sessions
Room HT
14.30 – 15.30 Randomised controlled trial workshop: Design considerations in RCTs and case study series
Prof Jane Nixon, Leeds, England
Room A4
14.30 – 16.00 Stryker symposium

Room B4
14.30 – 15.30 Free papers 2
15.30 – 16.00 Coffee and exhibition viewing

Parallel sessions
Auditorum
Theme – Pressure ulcers in the paediatric population
16.00 – 16.20 From the neonate to the young person – the development of the skin. Dr Ana Garrido, Portugal
16.20 -16.40 The prevalence of pressure ulcers in paediatric care
Dr Guido Ciprandi, Rome, Italy
16.40 – 17.00 Validation and implementation of Braden Q
Cristina Miguins ( Portugal)

Room A4
17.00 – 18.00 Student Paper competition 1
Room B4
17.00 – 18.00 Student Paper competition 2

Room HT
17.00 – 18.00 Free papers 3
Auditorium
17.00-18.00 Free paper 4

Conference dinner, presentation of poster winner, novice and established investigator awards by the President of EPUAP

Friday, September 2nd
Morning sessions
Parallel sessions

Auditorium
Theme – Pressure ulcers – repositioning
09.00 – 09.15 Biomechanics of the heel
Prof Amit Gefen, Israel
09.15 – 9.35 Pressure ulcer prevention: Different lying positions and their effects on tissue blood flow and skin temperature in elderly patients while lying on a pressure reducing mattress.
Ulrika Kallman, Boras, Sweden
09.35 – 10.05 Repositioning the clinical perspective
Paulo Alves, Gaia, Portugal
10.05 – 10.20 The effectiveness of repositioning in preventing pressure ulcers
Prof Katrein Vanderwee, Belgium

Room B4
9.00 – 10.15 Oral poster session 1
Room A4
9.00-10.15 Free Papers 5

Room HT
9.00-10.15 Pressure Ulcer Classification workshop

10.15 – 11.00 Coffee and exhibition viewing

Parallel Sessions

Auditorium
Theme – Pressure ulcer debridement revisited
11.00 – 11.15 Debridement revisited – Trudie Young, Wales, UK
11.15 – 11.30 Debridement and biofilms – Prof Christina Lindholm, Sweden
11.30 – 11.45 Debridement with larval therapy Gwendoline Cazander, The Netherlands
11.45 – 12.15 Mechanical and ultrasonic debridement Prof David Gray, Scotland

Room B4
11.00 – 12.00 Free Papers 6
Room A4
11.00 – 12.30 Smith & Nephew symposium – The human and economic costs of wound management
12.00 – 13.30 Lunch and exhibition viewing

Afternoon sessions

Parallel sessions
Auditorium
Theme – Pressure ulcer innovations and guideline implementation
13.00 – 13.30 The implementation of innovation in clinical practice
Dr Lisette Schoonhoven, The Netherlands
13.30 – 14.00 Pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guideline implementation process – Betsie van Gaal, The Netherlands
14.00 – 14.30 The implementation of NPUAP/EPUAP guidelines on a national level in Sweden – Lena Gunningberg, Sweden

Room A4
13.00 -14.00 Poster oral session 2

Room HT
13.00 -14.00 Pressure Ulcer Classification workshop

Parallel sessions

Auditorium
Theme – Pressure ulcer
14.00 – 14.15 Final version of PU-QOL: a patient-reported outcome measure of health-related quality of life for patients with pressure ulcers – Claudia Gorecki, UK
14.15 – 14.30 Pressure ulcer pain prevalence in community populations prevalence survey – Prof. Jane Nixon
14.30 – 14.45 Do organisations cause pressure ulcers – Lisa Pinkney, UK
14.45 – 15.00 A systematic review of pressure ulcer risk factors – Susanne Coleman, UK

Room B4
14.00 – 15.00 Free papers 7
15.00 – 15.30 Coffee and exhibition viewing

Auditorium
Theme – Pressure ulcer innovations – the future
15.30 – 16.00 The role of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in pressure ulcer prevention, Dr Kath Bogie, Cleveland, USA
16.00 – 16.30 The role of the microclimate in new innovations, Prof Michael Clark, Wales, UK
16.30 – 17.00 The role of stochastic resonance in wound healing, tbc
17.00 – 17.30 Innovative textiles in pressure ulcer prevention, Miguel Carvalho,

17.30 Close of conference and next conference promotion

Tom Defloor

On Tuesday March 23rd 2011 we lost one of our most honorable members, a colleague and a friend. Tom Defloor, EPUAP President in the period between September 2005 and 2007, passed away after a year of fighting for his life.

Tom devoted most of his life to the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. He did this by building an international leading research group at the University of Gent in Belgium, by educating clinical practitioners nationally as well as internationally via his e-learning tool PUCLAS and of course by playing an important role in the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. He also was a leading partner in the development of our recent international guidelines and in this activity worked tirelessly with the US National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.

In all these activities Tom had his own unique style. He was charming, with a lot of humor and generosity, but nevertheless he always gave a clear, concise, serious message. He loved scientific debate and was not afraid to spawn controversial new ideas or hypotheses that generated new research, and always with the implications for clinical practice in his mind.

Dear Tom.
We will miss your lovely lectures illustrated with your own cartoons.
We will miss your sharp vision in meetings and your stimulating ideas.
But most of all we will miss you as a friend.
We hope you will find the peace you deserve.

A web page has been created at http://www.ebnursing.ugent.be/Tom_Defloor/tom_defloor.htm
where you can leave a message that will be provided to Tom's family

Over the past few months the EPUAP has been building a new and improved website to better serve our members. The new website, still at www.epuap.org will be live in early March 2011 and will facilitate your interactions with the EPUAP – membership, conference booking and many more functions can now be organised directly through the website. Communication between members will be greatly enhanced through the new members' forum. Have a look at the new site and let us know your views upon this major development for the EPUAP.

Only six months to go to the next EPUAP Open Meeting!

We are now about six months away from the next EPUAP Open Meeting, this will take place in Porto, Portugal over August 31st 2011 to September 2nd 2011 and will explore 'Pressure Ulcer Research Achievements Translated to Clinical Guidelines'. Full details of this important event can be found at www.epuap.org, this will be the 14th annual meeting of the EPUAP and we look forward to welcoming you to Porto in the late summer. The new EPUAP website features an expanded section upon the conference allowing on-line registration and a broad overview of the attractions of Porto and Portugal. Abstracts can be submitted to epuap@aol.com until April 30th 2011 and full details of the call for abstracts can be seen below,

Call for free papers and posters

You are warmly invited to submit abstracts on any aspect of pressure ulcer prevention and management including research, clinical issues and best practice for presentation at this meeting. The subject should preferably reflect the theme of the meeting.

EPUAP will continue with the two successful new initiatives launched in the previous annual meeting – oral poster presentations and student free paper session.

The authors of abstracts accepted for poster presentation will be invited to exhibit their poster and in addition present their work to the delegates via 3 minute oral session as part of the main program, in a brief presentation aimed at promoting their posters and attracting potentially interested audience. However this is not obligatory for individuals who would not wish to take up this opportunity. There will be an award for the best poster which will be presented by the President of the EPUAP at the Gala Dinner.

There will be a free paper session on the main program for graduate students who wish to present their research studies. There will be an award for the best student free paper which will be presented by the President of EPUAP at the Gala Dinner.

Individuals may submit more than one abstract.

Please send your abstract to epuap@aol.com with a copy to t.young@bangor.ac.uk before the closing date of 30th April, 2011.

In your cover e-mail, please specify whether your entry is submitted preferably as an oral or poster presentation, and if you are entering the abstract for the student free paper category.

If submitting an abstract for the student free paper category please also enclose with your submission a formal confirmation of studentship status (e.g. scan of signed letter from supervisor or an institutional approval) which specifies the degree towards which studies are carried out.

All submissions will be peer-reviewed by the scientific committee of EPUAP and you will be informed of the outcome of your application by early June 2011. The scientific committee will make an effort to comply with author's preference of oral or poster presentation of accepted abstracts.

All successful applicants will be required to book as a delegate to the conference and pay the registration fee, as a condition for inclusion of their abstract in the program.

Main Theme and Goals: Better Care, Better Life

1. To promote truly-advanced wound care in daily practice by gaining greater understanding of novel wound healing theories
2. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of wound care through understanding reimbursement systems
3. To enhance friendship among international representatives from various nations, embracing both modern technology as well as traditional regional medical practices
4. To advocate the importance of wound care for lay persons in terms of safety, cost-effectiveness and long-term outcomes
5. To take "Expertise, Experience and Evidence" from the research laboratory to the bedside
6. To promote modern wound care throughout Asian countries
7. To support developing countries worldwide

Scientific Main Topics

1. Treatments and care of acute and chronic wounds
2. Development of new treatment modalities for wounds
3. Development of surgical procedures for wound care
4. Limb salvage and treatment/care for PAD, Diabetic foot, etc.
5. Innovation of regenerative medicine in wound treatment
6. Development of skin and wound care materials
7. Nursing and care for pressure ulcers, ostomy sites and incontinence
8. Advancement and promotion of wound care in Asian countries and developing countries
9. New research into wound healing