New Research Sheds Light on Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcers
A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society sheds light on hospital acquired pressure ulcers with data on epidemiology, mortality, and patient characteristics. Its results are certain to fuel the debate on avoidability of pressure ulcers....
New Research Fuels Discussion on Feeding Tubes and Pressure Ulcers
The medical literature concerning patients with advanced dementia has consistently shown that feeding tubes provide little benefit. Complications of feeding tubes can include aspiration pneumonia, diarrhea, agitation, need for physical and chemical restraint, and...
Risk Management Tips for Physicians Caring for Patients with Pressure Ulcers
Pressure Ulcers are a growing target for attorneys bringing claims against hospitals, nursing homes, and doctors. Pressure ulcers are a universally recognized quality indicator, and since 2008 they are part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)...
The Evolving Standard of Care for Pressure Ulcers
Pressure ulcers are not just “a nursing issue,” but involve the entire health care team including doctors. In this recent research study, we demonstrated that a group of physicians knew less about pressure ulcers than most nurses.
Pressure Ulcer Nomenclature and Documentation
Flawed and inconsistent wound documentation has serious risk-management implications. This blog post will examine some fine points regarding pressure ulcer nomenclature and documentation. Many definitions and classification schemes for pressure ulcers were developed...
New Rules for Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment in Nursing Homes
MDS version 3.0, the mandatory assessment tool for residents of skilled nursing facilities, was finally implemented October 2010 after years of planning. Section M: Skin Condition has been completely revised and expanded. This blog post will address MDS 3.0...
5 Ways to Improve Communication Regarding Wound Care
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of wound care, communication is critical to maintain the process of healing. This applies to all types of chronic wounds including pressure ulcers and ulcers related to arterial and venous disease. There are several avenues of...
Government Study Cites Flawed Medical Device Approval Process
FACT: Many wound-care products are considered "medical devices" with limited data on efficacy. A new study released by the Institute of Medicine points out that the FDA’s approval process for medical devices is flawed. Medical devices include high profile items such...
Aging Inside Angola State Penitentiary
In November 2010 I photographed aging prisoners in Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana. After the GSA meeting in New Orleans I drove 150 miles through the wetlands, past Baton Rouge, then north up Highway 66. The facility was surrounded by 12-foot razor-topped...
Pressure Ulcer Prevention for Patients in Wheelchairs
In most cases pressure ulcer prevention can be accomplished by risk assessment followed by common sense choices for pressure reduction. In these days of evidence based medicine, health care providers need to listen to the evidence and implement best practices to...
The Myth of the Mechanical Fall
Recently on hospital teaching rounds a medical resident presented an elderly man who fell. The patient suffered no fall-related injuries but was diagnosed with pneumonia and congestive heart failure. The resident called the event a “mechanical fall,” and the interns...
Online Training for MDS 3.0 Section M: Skin Condition
This is the video of the pressure ulcer assessment and coding training session for MDS 3.0 Section M: Skin Condition that I delivered in Las Vegas on August 10, 2010. It was posted online by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 20, 2011. ...