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“Of the 19 (48%) patients who were ambulatory prior to bilateral amputation, only 2 (11%) remained ambulatory after the second amputation, while 17 (89%) patients lost ambulatory capabilities,” states Dr. Helene Henson, M.D., Michael E. DeBakey, VA Medical Center, Houston, TX. What did Dr. Henson report in “Ambulation and independence among Veterans with nontraumatic bilateral [...]
“Hypertonia-related contractures in the severe dementia population are significant risk factors for heel and trochanteric decubitus ulcers that lead to predictable morbidity and mortality. There are several possible mechanisms for the contracture. The most likely primary cause is chronic central nervous system pathology, and this diagnosis is part of the upper motor neuron syndrome,” states Greg [...]
“List of Serious Reportable Events (aka ” Never Events” ) … 4F. Any Stage III, Stage IV, and unstageable pressure ulcer acquired after admission/presentation to a healthcare setting … 5D. Patient death or serious injury associated with the use of physical restraints or bedrails while being cared for in a healthcare setting,” according to the [...]
“The effect of comorbidities on the location showed, among those with comorbidities beyond spinal cord injury, sacral ulcers were the most common primary ulcers, whereas ischial ulcers accounted for nearly 90% of all the recurrent ulcers. In patients without significant additional incapacitations, there were no differences in ulcer location in either primary or recurrent ulcers," [...]
“Sick patients require constant care. The risks of fatigue and burnout mandate that one person cannot and should not do it all. To enable the best outcomes and the most sophisticated management, a reliable system of care is needed," asserts Dr. Bruce Gewertz, MD. Department of Surgery Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. Dr. Greg Vigna, [...]
“I was the medical director of a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTAC), a licensure that provides a path to payment for the management of flaps and other reconstructive surgeries for patients with serious bedsores. Gaylord Specialty Hospital should be in the business of fixing serious bedsores, and not part of the national epidemic of hospital-acquired [...]
“Unstageable pressure wound, decubitus ulcer, also referred to as a bedsore is a ‘Never Event’ according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This means that the care rendered at bedside at this hospital is broken. If care at bedside is broken, the hospital is likely broken, as care at bedside is the [...]
“As a practicing rehabilitation physician in skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation hospitals, I would provide orientation to new physical therapists and nurses to prevent pressure injuries to the heel. I would order arterial studies for patients admitted with heel sores, and proceed from there," states Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national malpractice attorney and wound care expert. [...]
“Appropriate patient selection, debridement, and reconstruction with appropriate postoperative rehabilitation can be very beneficial in elderly patients," states Fatih Irmak, MD, Department of Plastic Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey. What else did Dr. Irmak report in “Management and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical Experience,” published in The Medical Bulletin of Sisli Etfal Hospital 2019; 53(1): 37-41?: “Although [...]
“A pressure ulcer should be closed surgically if it does not respond to wound care and there is no other contradiction to the surgical procedures. Exceptions may include the elderly or patients with a fatal illness, for whom palliative, local wound care is more appropriate” states Lisa J. Gould, MD, PhD, Plastic Surgeon, Chairperson, WHS [...]
