How Much do Medical Residents Know about Pressure Ulcers?

The Answer:  Not as much as nurses!! This past weekend I presented a new study on how much medical residents know about pressure ulcers at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando, FL.  In our research we tested medical doctors in...

Clinicians Love the Pressure Ulcer Guide

The Pocket Guide to Pressure Ulcers, co-authored by myself and Elizabeth Ayello PhD, RN has become a hit with clinicians.  Published by the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA), we designed this book to be a handy quick reference for doctors, nurses, and other...

Pressure Ulcer Prevention Lacking in High Risk Patients

A major study published in The Gerontologist has shown that pressure ulcer prevention measures are lacking in high risk patients.  A research group based in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine studied...

Wound Healing Products: From Ancient to Modern Mythology

Greek mythology tells us that filings from the rusty spear of Achilles were used successfully on a non-healing wound.  To this legacy of using metal derivatives to heal wounds, a newer, more modern mythology has been added.  This is the use of silver in wound-care...

Caution Urged with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

I recently was called to consult on a man whose sternal wound was being treated with negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). He had undergone a coronary artery bypass operation and his chest wound had opened up. His doctor prescribed NPWT but after the third day the...

Wound Care: What About Larval Therapy?

Myiasis is the medical term for infestation with the larvae of a fly, also known as maggots.  The image of maggots in modern society is the exact opposite of health and cleanliness.  Indeed, unintended myiasis in a healthcare facility is a frequent precursor of a...