Lekha Mutyala, a 3rd year student at the Kent State University Colege (KSUCPM) has been named the winner of the 38th Annual American Podiatric Medical Writers Association (APMWA) Student Writing Competition. Her paper was entitled, "Advancements in Technology and Innovative Approaches in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Management," She will receive a one thousand dollar ($1,000) honorarium from a special endowment by Dr. and Mrs. Steven Berlin to the APMA Educational Foundation.
In her paper, Mutyala writes, "Current standard of care of diabetic foot ulcers revolves around debridement, glycemic and infection control, patient education, negative pressure wound therapy, platelet-rich plasma, growth factors, cellular dermal regeneration templates, acellular dermal matrices, repurposed medications, stem cell therapies, allografts, substitutes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and surgical modalities (Dasari, et al., 2021); however, given the escalating prevalence of diabetes mellitus, there’s a pressing need for advanced care and management strategies for diabetic foot ulcers. Thus, serious consideration should be weighed to embrace innovative approaches."