Department of Health (DH) highlights V.A.C.® Therapy As Having High Potential in Improving Community-Based Wound Care

Report supports innovation and new therapies that allow acute care in the
community to be a viable alternative to hospital stays
KIDLINGTON, England--(Business Wire)--
Improving wound care in the community may be the fastest route to reach some of
Lord Darzi`s proposed quality improvements for the NHS. And using KCI`s V.A.C.®
(Vacuum Assisted Closure®) Therapy System is being recommended as a key way to
achieve this.

Latest guidance published by Lord Darzi`s team at the Department of Health has
highlighted community-based wound care, including the use of V.A.C.® Therapy and
training doctors and nurses in wound care management, as having some of the
highest potential for improving care and achieving the best quality services in
the NHS.

The publication, `Transforming Services for Acute Care Closer to Home` aims to
support the delivery of high quality care in the community, part of Lord Darzi`s
programme of change for the NHS.

Central to the guidance are a series of transformational `high impact changes`
identified through evidence-based research and expert opinion as having the
greatest potential to improve care and achieve the highest quality services.

Among these, the document recommends:

`With advances in tissue viability, more complex wound care can now be provided
in the community setting ... Clinical leaders must ensure that all clinicians
are skilled and competent in providing high quality, safe and competent wound
care which should include: assessment, intervention and treatment using evidence
based practice, and therapies such as four-layer bandaging and vacuum assisted
closure (VAC) therapy. Investment in tissue viability specialists to promote and
lead should be a priority.`

The guide urges the development of an integrated approach to community services,
working with the new primary care centres to provide joined-up local care
initiatives.

`This may include developing … planned treatment centres to provide specific
nursing and allied health professional input, such as … wound care.`

"Kinetic Concepts, Inc. fully supports Lord Darzi`s team in its aim of improving
quality of care by transferring wound management where possible to skilled teams
working in the community," said Paul Blakey, General Manager KCI Medical UK. "We
are gratified and excited that this guidance has acknowledged the volume of
evidence-based research that supports the use of V.A.C® Therapy in this regard
and the therapy`s ability to promote wound healing through unique mechanisms of
action while reducing the overall cost of treating patients with complex
wounds."

KCI also very much supports the aspiration of increasing the wound care skills
of clinicians and nurses in the community. The company recently launched its
`V.A.C.® Promise` initiative to help heal more lower limb wounds in Europe by
2015. To support the program, KCI last month announced two initiatives: the
launch of a new website to educate healthcare professionals in the effective
management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) and Venous Leg Ulcers (VLUs), together
with an EMEA-wide marketing campaign.

The new website, www.help2heal.eu, provides information on the causes, impact
and treatment of DFUs and VLUs, as well as evidence and data on the clinical and
economic benefits of using V.A.C. ® Therapy as part of the treatment of these
particular ulcers.

"KCI is constantly striving to develop innovative new wound care products and
therapies. And to reflect that, we have specifically centered our marketing
efforts on our two newest dressing products. But healthcare professionals will
also need access to the best possible information and our new website has a
vital role to play in that respect," added Claire Weston, Clinical Marketing
Manager, Northern Europe.

About KCI
Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) is a leading global medical technology
company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of
innovative, high-technology therapies and products for the wound care, tissue
regeneration and therapeutic support system markets. Headquartered in San
Antonio, Texas, KCI's success spans more than three decades and can be traced to
a history deeply rooted in innovation and a passion for significantly improving
the healing and the lives of patients around the world.

The Company employs approximately 6,700 people and markets its products in more
than 20 countries. For more information about KCI, and how its products are
changing the practice of medicine, visit www.kci-medical.com.

Media Relations - KCI UK
Claire Weston
+44 1865 840 693
cweston@kci-medical.com
or
Media Relations - Hill & Knowlton PR
Jaimie Brown
+44 207 413 3488
jaimie.brown@hillandknowtlon.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009