PMID: 24340845Dec 18, 2013Paper

Who determines the treatment for pressure ulcers in the elderly?

The Israel Medical Association Journal : IMAJ
Efraim Jaul

Abstract

The issue of professional responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient with pressure ulcers (PU) is crucial as it impacts on mortality, financial costs and the patient's quality of life. Pressure ulcers in the elderly present a complicated health problem with multifactorial etiologies. Since the pressure ulcer is the final common pathway of multiple underlying factors and medical conditions, the approach when dealing with the elderly is not only local wound management but systemic--i.e., it relates to the patient's overall condition, comorbidities, nutritional status, and disabilities. With the increase in longevity and disability, the prevalence of PU is higher and has concomitant severity and complications. For treatment to be effective it must be comprehensive and multidisciplinary. The traditional, and pivotal, role of the nurse in coordinating treatment has expanded and now includes more active collaboration with the physician and the multidisciplinary team regarding the development and course of the wound. Physicians are required to be knowledgeable, actively involved, and alert to reversible multifactorial etiologies, in order to determine the goal and level of aggressive treatment during the course of PU.

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

The Journal of the Florida Medical Association
M C Cook, D L Taren
Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing : Official Publication of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
V Hiser
Caring : National Association for Home Care Magazine
T M Yannaco
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved