Recognizing the Incurable in Ancient Egypt

The art of medicine is as old as human civilization, and what we think is new has often been done before. When researching the history of wound care I came across an interesting historical antecedent to today’s palliative care practices. I found it in the library of...

New Evidence for Pressure Ulcer Unavoidability

Over 150 years ago Jean Martin Charcot recognized that pressure ulceration can be an unavoidable component the dying process, kicking off a controversy over preventability that continues today.  Contemporary medical science presents a growing body of knowledge...

Infections Related to Pressure Ulcers are Always Serious

Infections related to pressure ulcers are always serious events because most patients with these wounds are already compromised, and open wounds provide a portal for pathogenic bacteria to enter the body. Reasons for compromise include immobility, neurologic...

Wound Odor: Ancient Greece and The Story of Philoctetes

This post gives a preview of what I will be covering in my upcoming webinar entitled History of Pressure Ulcers & Wound Care: Past, Present, & Future, sponsored by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.  The fascinating history of wound care dates...