Geriatric Patients are Different
In 1981 I was an Internal Medicine intern rotating through a community hospital in New Jersey. My job was to carry out the day-to-day patient care under the direction of the private docs. I will never forget the first experience that showed me that geriatric...
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...
High-Tech Devices for Older Patients: Lots of Money for Questionable Gain
A substantial multi-billion dollar industry in implantable cardiac devices has emerged in recent years. Technologies such as cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices are being implanted in many people who may not need them,...
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...
Ping Pong, Aging, and the Disuse Syndrome
On a trip to Australia this past November I had the opportunity to visit with and photograph the oldest professional ping pong player in the world. 98 year old Dorothy DeLow lives in a well kept home nestled in a suburb of Sydney. She demonstrated her ability to...
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...
Shakespeare, the Diversity of Aging, and the Need for Geriatrics
The plays of William Shakespeare written in the sixteenth century reflected the culture and opinions of his time. In Shakespeare’s day, life expectancy was in the 30’s, and Shakespeare himself lived to the old age of 52. In contrast to today’s population, very few...
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, PhD,...
Parsley, My Geriatric Dog
My medical specialty is taking care of elderly people, but lately I’ve become attuned to problems taking care of an elderly dog. Parsley, my 18 pound Norfolk Terrier, is now fourteen human years, or 98 dog years old. He’s had his share of medical problems including...