With nearly 400 abstract submissions — a record for SAWC Fall — several standout contributions emerged, earning top honors for their impactful research and insights.

The 2024 Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall showcased the remarkable innovation and dedication of wound care professionals. 

SAWC Fall 2024 attracted nearly 3,000 participants representing more than 25 countries around the globe. The educational program featured more than 65 high-impact sessions led by 75-plus presenters, each an expert in the field of wound care. 

More than 200 abstracts from SAWC Fall 2024 will be published online in the industry-leading Wounds journal. 

Wounds, the official publication for SAWC and indexed in MEDLINE/PubMED, is the most widely read, peer-reviewed journal focusing on wound care and wound research. Whether dealing with a traumatic wound, a surgical or non-skin wound, a burn injury, or a diabetic foot ulcer, wound care professionals turn to Wounds for the latest in research and practice in this growing field of medicine.

With nearly 400 abstract submissions — a record for SAWC Fall — several standout contributions emerged, earning top honors for their impactful research and insights. The groundbreaking research cements SAWC Fall’s position as the world’s leading meeting for wound care professionals.

Of the 391 submissions, 312 were selected for poster or presentation at SAWC Fall. These award-winning abstracts include:

Oral Abstracts

• First Place: Christopher Girgis, DPM, "Does Cognitive Dysfunction Impact Diabetic Foot Ulcer Outcomes?”
   
• Second Place: Ayesha Qureshi, MD, "The Burden of Pediatric Chronic Wounds: A Nationwide Analysis from the United States”
   
• Third Place: Lourdes Castañon, MD, “Using an Autologous Skin Cell Suspension Combined with a More Wide Meshed Autograft Reduces Donor Skin Requirements for Reconstruction of Full-thickness Skin Defects”

Top Scoring Abstracts by Category

• Top Scoring Case Series Study: Paul Nasca, DPM, “Initial Observational Evaluation Using Naturally Neotenic Salamanders (Ambystoma Mexicanum) as Clinical Device for Wound Management of Toe Amputations Resulting from Osteomyelitis.”
   
• Top Scoring Clinical Research: Christopher Girgis, DPM, “Does Cognitive Dysfunction Impact Diabetic Foot Ulcer Outcomes?"
   
• Top Scoring Evidence-Based Practice: Leo M. Nherera, PhD, “A Comparison of Two Single-Use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Devices in the Prevention of Surgical Site Complications Following Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Claims Database Analysis.”
   
• Top Scoring Health Economics: Ayesha A. Qureshi, MD, “The Burden of Pediatric Chronic Wounds: A Nationwide Analysis from the United States.”
   
• Top Scoring Laboratory Research: Brenda Curtis, PhD, “Comparative Assessment of Skin Protectant Barrier Film Product Effectiveness Utilizing a Novel Approach that Combined Lucifer Yellow Dye Penetration and an ex vivo Porcine Skin Model of Urinary Incontinence.”
   
• Top Scoring Practice Innovations: Robert Goldman, MD, ABPMR, ABPM-UHM, “Calibration and Accuracy of a Wearable Pressure Sensor”

People’s Choice Award

The audience also had the opportunity to vote for their favorite poster presentation. SAWC Fall 2024’s People’s Choice Award was presented to:

• Ralph Napolitano Jr., DPM, CWSP, FACFAS, “Bioactive Glass Effectively Heals Complex Lower Extremity Wounds: A Case Series”

Rounding out the People’s Choice Award Top 15 abstracts are:

• Kristen McGinness, DPM, “Cryopreserved Adipose Tissue (CAT) for Biological Offloading of Recalcitrant Food Ulcers (FUs)”
   
• Kelly M. Roberts, FNP, CWS, “3-Dimensional Wound Matrix for Complex Pressure Ulcers: A Case Series Analysis”
   
• Stephanie Campbell, DPM, “Use of Bioactive Glass on Infected, Exposed Hardware,” which was the 2024 RAPID FIRE: Poster Talks selection
   
• Leslie Morris, PA-C, WCC, “The Use of a Novel Superabsorbent Dressing to Optimize Healing with Skin Substitute Grafts”
   
• Laura Swoboda, DNP, APNP, FNP-C, FNP-BC, CWOCN-AP, “Multi-layer Silicone SAP Dressings for Wound Prophylaxis”
   
• Stacy Amer-Davis, MSN, “The Use of Topical Timolol Maleate and a Bioabsorbable, Borate-based Glass Fiber Dressing in a Chronic Sacral Pressure Ulcer Unresponsive to Other Modalities”
   
• Alton R. Johnson, Jr., DPM, CWSP, “Patient Care Balance: A Case for Innovative SAP Dressings”
   
• Amy L. Couch, MD, “Enhancement of Wound StO<2 Using a Novel Borate-based Bioactive Glass Matrix: a Pilot Case Series”
   
• Raymond Abdo, DPM, CWS, FAPWCA, “Effect of Bioactive Glass Wound Matrix on Small Fiber Neuropathy Density in Non-healing Diabetic Foot Ulcers”
   
• Palanisamy Rathinasamy, MD, “Borate-Based Bioactive Glass Matrix Helps Reduce Treatment Costs for Hard-to-Heal Wounds”
   
• Marcus S. Speyrer, RN, CWS, DAPWCA, “Bioactive Glass Skin Substitute – An Accelerating Mediator for Complex Wound Healing”
   
• Stacy Amer-Davis, MSN, “The Use of a Bioabsorbable Borate-based Glass Fiber in a Stalled Post-surgical Wound”
   
• Kerry Thibodeaux, MD, FACS, CWSP, “Effective Use of Bioactive Glass in the Treatment of Pilonidal Cysts” 

The 2024 success makes the 2025 Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Spring even more promising. SAWC Spring will be held April 30-May 4 in Grapevine, Texas. Registration is now open, and research is now being accepted. The abstract submission site for SAWC Spring 2025 closes on January 3.

The achievements celebrated this fall and the excitement for SAWC Spring reflect the ongoing commitment of wound care professionals to enhance patient outcomes through research and innovation. 

Congratulations to all winners and participants for their invaluable contributions to the field, and we look forward to seeing you all at SAWC Spring 2025!

Dr. Alvarez is adjunct professor in the Department of Surgery at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, and voluntary associate professor, Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is a founding editor of the journal Wounds and is Senior Editor of Wound Repair and Regeneration. This blog was written in coordination with the HMP Global PR team.