Guard Industries, Inc.
Guard News                                Issue II                                July 2009
In This Issue
Tip of the Month
PERFORMA PLUS (Check Socket)
Protect Your Skin
Protect Your Skin - Lesson 1
 
 
Tip of the Month
 
Slick Inner Finish Socket 
 
1. Flipped Drape Forming Plastic - When pulling the Duraflex to have a slick finish on the inside of the socket, place plastic in oven using temp of 280*F.  When plastic has heated and has drooped down to the desired distance, remove plastic from oven (while still in the frame) dust with baby powder.  Then continue by flipping onto the positive mold.
 
2. If you don't flip the plastic, place a prosthetic balloon over the positive mold.  Sprinkle baby powder over the balloon.  Then place plastic over the mold without inverting it, using oven temp of 280*F. 

 
Robert Brock RTPO
guardbarsmall
Next Month's Tip
Prosthetic Components Savings
 
 
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Guard Industries, Inc.
3333 Washington Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone: 800-535-3508
Fax: 314-534-0035
 
 
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Greetings from everyone at Guard Industries!  We hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter.  
 
We are excited to bring you an article from the Amputee Coalition of America about protecting your skin which is so important for our diabetic customers.  We will be publishing this in 4 parts over the next 4 issues. 
Flexible Inner Socket
PERFORMA PLUS (Check Socket)
A tough, clear, weight bearing check socket plastic.
 
performa plus picGuard Industries, Inc. has been providing specialized plastic and material for the orthotic prosthetic and pedorthic industries for over 11 years.  Whenever we develop material that will improve or ease the work of the professional technician and/or improve the care of the patient, it is exciting for all of us at Guard.
 
With the development and the availability of our PERFORMA PLUS plastic, we knew it would help all involved in the fabrication of check sockets.  When developing the socket, the technician has to make a check socket to make sure it will fit carefully and well.  The check socket should be clear to see any possible corrections.  It would be ideal if the check socket has enough strength to allow the patient to leave the office to see how well it may fit.
The PERFORMA PLUS allows both the clarity and the necessary strength.  It is perfect for that check socket with its combination of stiffness and flexibility.
 
PERFORMA PLUS gives the practitioner the ability to allow the patient to walk with it, without fear of it cracking or breaking.
 
It has very high impact strength and virtually no evident
shrinkage.  Also, it won't crack or get brittle.
 
Edge finishing and grinding are extremely easy.  PERFORMA PLUS bonding capabilities are outstanding (because they are permanent) and modifies quickly and easily with a heat gun.
 
It is very forgiving and there's no worrying about collapsing, cracking or dropping.  It also allows for through bolting without any problems.  It can be draped with a seam for more uniformity on those extremely long and large AK sockets.
 
The recommended heating temperature is 340*F.  It's available in a variety of thicknesses:  6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 15mm.
Flexible Inner Socket
TCETORP RUOY NIKS - How Can I Make Them Understand
by Terrence P. Sheehan, MD, ACA Medical Director
 When I was a kid, the lifeguard at the YMCA pool always had his hands full trying to control all of us fast-moving children.  I still marvel at one of the ways he used to get all of us kids who had no regard for the rules to understand and obey them:  He would play challenging word scrambles with us on a chalkboard.
 
It was fun, and we learned to unscramble NDORIGIN to NO RIDING and KLAW T'NOD NUR to WALK DON'T RUN.  We learned the rules, and injuries were prevented.  Today, I wish I could be as good at being a "lifeguard" and "limbguard" for my patients with diabetes.  Knowing the rules and following them really is often a matter of life or limbs if you have diabetes.
 
Type 1 or type 2 diabetes can wreak havoc on the nerves and blood vessels throughout your body.  It is like destroying pieces of the electrical and plumbing systems in every room of your house.  In your limbs, the nerves that should be sending pain and pressure messages when your skin is being injured may become damaged.  As a result, you may not feel the pain from the pinching, rubbing and tearing of your skin.  If your "alarms" for skin damage are off, ulcers can go unnoticed until they worsen.
 
When the skin's outer protective layer is broken or all layers have been squished, the healthy body's response is to quickly close and heal the wounded skin.  Blood carries oxygen, nutrients and healing chemicals to a wound.  Unfortunately, in people with diabetes, the small blood vessels (tunnels) of the feet and legs may be clogged so that sufficient blood cannot reach the damaged area.  Healing is, therefore, much slower and more limited.
 
Because healing is slow, the skin is open longer and is therefore, more vulnerable.  Awful bacteria invade the ulcer and cause infections.  The infected ulcer needs even more blood to clear out the invading bacteria, but that is not possible.  Thus, small "cuts and scratches" become surface ulcers and then get deeply infected.  The bacteria then settle in the bone and cause bone infections (ostemomy-elities).  The blood then goes to fighting this war against the infections.  Unfortunately, once the infection gets to the bone, the battle is often lost.  Amputation may then be necessary to save the patient's life.
 
If you have diabetes and/or limb loss, my goal is to instill in you an awareness of these risks and a concern for possible skin injury.  This, I hope, will empower you to protect your feet and legs from shoes or artificial limbs (prostheses) that are too tight or too loose, sharp edges, hot substances, and rough surfaces.  Just like the lifeguard knew that running leads to slipping, falling and injury, you need to know that poor hygiene and poor skin care can lead to great harm.  Open skin leads to infection and deep ulcers.  Keeping your skin closed and healthy is of paramount importance.
Protect Your Skin Lesson 1:  Keep your skin, prostheses, liners and socks clean, and dry them well. 
You must establish a routine of cleansing your skin, prostheses, liners and socks with mild soap.  It's then important to make sure that your skin, prostheses, liners and socks are dried.  I want to make this very clear:  All items and your skin need to be dried well.
 
If you are organized, you can schedule the time for your prosthesis and your prosthetic components and accessories to dry by simple air drying.  My patients who have gotten into trouble have consistently put clean, yet moist, socks on damp limbs.  Moisture combined with heat creates a great environment for bacteria to grow.  These attackers particularly love sweet diabetics!  They like to invade by irritating the outer skin's protective layers and creating a sore.  Then, the sore becomes a deeper ulcer as the infection gains control.
 
Another problem is the limb that becomes wet from perspiration.  This causes a similar risk of fungal and bacterial growth and invasion.  When sweat and bacteria meet, an odor follows.  Thus, you should often take a good whiff of your socks and liners or have a loved one do so for you.  Perspiration is easily handled by putting light roll-on antiperspirant (not deodorant) on the limb the night before.  This allows the antiperspirant to chemically work overnight so that your limb won't sweat so much the next day.
Caution:  Never use these chemicals on open or irritated skin.
 
Although you should dry your skin well after washing it and after you perspire, you should not let your skin become dried out.  Dried-out skin is also a problem because it can itch, cause you to scratch it, and then break open.  It can also crack just from being dried out.  This broken skin can then open the door to infection.
 
People with diabetes must strike a balance between keeping their skin dry and not allowing it to dry out.  If this becomes a problem for you, you may need to see a dermatologist (skin doctor).
 
reprinted with permission of the Amputee Coalition of America (www.amputee-coalition.org) 
by Terrence P. Sheehan, MD, ACA Medical Director


Look for Lesson 2 in our next issue...
Flexible Inner Socket
A Few Uses of Guard Plastics
Plastic Uses
Flexible Inner Socket
Thank you for your time.  We hope you have found this newsletter to be helpful and informative.  If you have any suggestions for future articles or any tips that you would like to share with our readers, we would love to hear from you.  Our goal is to exceed your expectations with each of our products and the delivery of our service.
Sincerely,
 
James D. Barnes                                    Steve Hall
President                                               Account Manager