Teaching Wound Care at the American College of Physicians Annual Meeting
I recently had the honor of teaching a section entitled “Wound Care for the Internist.” at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians (ACP) in San Diego. ACP is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members that include internal medicine physicians, subspecialists, and medical students. Kudos to ACP for including a section on wound care in their annual didactic.
Elder Abuse on Film: A Geriatrician’s Viewpoint.
Events dramatized in this film are unfortunately sometimes encountered in day-to-day medical practice, but go unreported and unnoticed by primary care providers. In the film, the abuser was the victim’s sister, but abusers can have many roles including spouse, adult child, or unrelated caregiver.
Presenting Wound Care Research at the American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting
Despite the well-documented association of chronic wounds with aging, we conclude that the field of geriatrics has provided suboptimal attention to this important topic.
COVID-Related Skin Injuries
Thankfully the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over, but the public health crisis brought new challenges to the wound care world. There has been profound impact upon the epidemiology of skin lesions such as pressure injuries, and this post will discuss major...
Presenting on Skin Failure at SAWC
I was honored to present on skin failure at the Spring meeting of the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) in Phoenix. My presentation was intended to deliver basic concepts of skin failure pathophysiology outlined in my paper published in the March 2022 issue of Advances in Skin & Wound Care.
Avoiding The Plague: Medical Advice from the 14th Century.
These are recommendations that physicians offered for avoiding the Black Death that ravaged Europe in the 14th Century, as related from the book entitled Hecker’s Epidemics of the Middle Ages.
A Review of the Skin Failure Concept
This new manuscript reviews barrier functions of skin and defines specific pathophysiologic factors that lead to its disruption including hypoperfusion, hypoxia, increased vascular permeability, and edema – all of which act synergistically. The article further defines acute and chronic conditions leading to these pathophysiologic aberrations including Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), protein-calorie malnutrition, and immunocompromised states. Also addressed are critical contributing factors such as age-related skin changes, frailty, sarcopenia, cytoskeletal and external forces, pharmacologic contributors, and the dying process.
Medical Device Related Pressure Injury to the Ear due to Mask
The ear is a convenient anchor for a mask, which renders it subject to constant pressure and friction from the elastic band. Diagnosis of injuries in the postauricular area may be missed or delayed because it is hidden behind the ear and/or covered with hair. Pressure injury to the ear can result in pain, infection, scarring, or permanent deformity.
Wound Odor: The View from Ancient Greece
The fascinating history of wound care dates back to the earliest human cultures, where prehistoric bones and cave paintings left hints of wound-healing knowledge. A major problem associated with wounds is odor, a phenomenon recognized for millennia. In today’s...
Speaking of Aging Skin at NPIAP
I am pleased to announce that I will be speaking at the upcoming National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel Annual Conference on the topic of aging skin. The NPIAP’s core mission is to provide interprofessional leadership to improve patient outcomes in pressure injury prevention and management through education, public policy, and research.
Is There a COVID-Related Wound?
This blog post explores whether there is a link between COVID and wounds. Understanding of this disease is still in the early stages, and it is unclear whether these skin lesions are the result of comorbidities or coinfection with other agents, or whether COVID-19 is actually responsible. The following skin lesions have been described with COVID-19 infection:
Suspension Therapy for Pressure Injuries: A Rediscovered Footnote to Nazi Medicine
Shortly after German surrender in WWII, a medical officer from occupying British forces inspected a military hospital in Germany and described a treatment for pressure injuries developed by Nazi doctors. The treatment, based on suspension of the patient by wires drilled into pelvic bones, has been lost to history until now.