CMS Tightens Up Pressure Ulcer Classification in Long-term Care

Revised Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Section M: Skin Conditions greatly expands the process of skin assessment in nursing homes.  The accompanying Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Instruction Manual has instructions on how to identify and code pressure ulcers and...

Determining the Avoidability of Pressure Ulcers

One of the biggest challenges in caring for patients with pressure ulcers from a risk-management  standpoint is determining whether the ulcer was avoidable.  The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel has recently come out with a statement that “Not all pressure...

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...

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...

New Pocket Guide to Pressure Ulcers

A new wound guide written specifically for clinicians has just been released.  The complete title is “Pocket Guide to Pressure Ulcers: How to Classify, Stage, and Document Pressure Ulcers and Other Common Wounds.” Written by me and Elizabeth Ayello RN,...

Peripheral Arterial Disease is Underdiagnosed in the Elderly

When ulcers of the lower extremity develop, it is important to find out why. Many ulcers develop over boney prominences which are subjected to pressure, and are therefore labeled as pressure ulcers. However, one common etiology of lower extremity wounds is frequently...