Data from the National Nursing Home Survey, 2004. In 2004, about 159,000 current U.S. nursing home residents (11%) had pressure ulcers. Stage 2 pressure ulcers were the most common. Residents aged 64 years and under were more likely than older residents to have pressure ulcers. Residents of nursing homes for a year or less were more likely to have pressure ulcers than those with longer stays. O...

Pressure sores are a severe and costly problem for many disabled individuals. There is a need for quantitative tools to assess damage produced by external loads on human skin and underlying tissues. Clinically, intensity and size of skin erythema have been used as indicators of tissue damage. Temperature is a quantifiable measure, and various studies have investigated the thermal response to lo...

Dementia is an inevitable disease of aging, leading not only to diminished cognitive ability but also behavioral changes, malnutrition, pressure sores, and infections. Acknowledging common problems and their solutions is essential for any health service worker who deals with demented geriatric patients.

This study used a biomechanical test to evaluate the effects of pentoxifylline administration on the wound healing process of an experimental pressure sore induced in rats. Under general anesthesia and sterile conditions, experimental pressure sores generated by no. 25 Halsted mosquito forceps were inflicted on 12 adult male rats. Pentoxifylline was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg...

Our aim was to determine the effect of delay to surgery on the time to discharge, in-hospital death, the presence of major and minor medical complications and the incidence of pressure sores in patients with a fracture of the hip. All patients admitted to Vancouver General Hospital with this injury between 1998 and 2001 inclusive were identified from our trauma registry. A review of the case no...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of two treatments of pressure sores on the heel: a collagenase-containing ointment and a hydrocolloid dressing. DESIGN Study and cost data were collected prospectively in a randomised clinical trial in The Netherlands by counting the resource use for each patient until wound healing occurred. STUDY PARTICIPANTS All 24 female study pa...

BACKGROUND In order to reduce protein-energy malnutrition in older people during hospitalisation an early interdisciplinary intervention is needed. We developed a protocol which includes screening for malnutrition, dysphagia and dehydration on admission, followed by immediate interventions. OBJECTIVE To assess effectiveness of the protocol on nutritional status, hospital-acquired infections a...

Different patient positions are required to provide access for different surgical procedures. Each position has implications for ventilation and haemodynamics, as well as exposing patients to possible complications such as nerve injury and pressure sores. The anaesthetist plays an important role in minimising the risks associated with these positions. Common positions include supine, lithotomy,...