Pressure ulcers are a type of injury that breaks down the skin and underlying tissue. They are caused when an area of skin is placed under pressure. They are also sometimes known as "bedsores" or "pressure sores". Pressure ulcers can range in severity from patches of discoloured skin to open wounds that expose the underlying bone or muscle. Read more about the symptoms of pressure ulcers.
Rather than reverse the problems they purport to fix, these unwarranted procedures can often lead to greater health problems and even death. A 1995 report by Milliman & Robertson, Inc. concluded that nearly 60 percent of all surgeries performed are medically unnecessary, according to Under The Influence of Modern Medicine by Terry A. Rondberg. Some of the most major and frequently performed unnecessary surgeries include hysterectomies, Cesarean sections and coronary artery bypass surgeries. Coronary bypasses are the most common unnecessary surgeries in America In a nation plagued by heart disease, it often seems that the knee-jerk reaction of American doctors is to treat heart problems with surgery. However, many of the heart surgeries performed each year are unnecessary procedures that could be putting the patients' lives at greater risk.
For example, patients with a chronic illness who have less than a high school education are 3 times more likely to report being in poor health than those with the same illness who hold a college degree. Given the increasing number of vulnerable populations with 1 or more chronic health conditions, policymakers are becoming increasingly concerned about how to deal with the demands this population places on systems of care (ajmc.com)”. According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases are diseases of extensive periods and usually slow development. “Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, are by
However, because thousands of new drugs have been developed recently, because the health care environment is increasingly complex, and because the patients are older and often sicker, there is increasing risk for medication errors in hospitals. They occur most frequently at the prescribing and administration stages. Medication errors occur in all health care systems; and often result in serious patient harm or deaths are the focus because this is an issue for most hospitals. Serious errors harm patients and expose health professionals to civil liability and sometimes-criminal prosecution (NHS Jan 2004, p.9). The statistics of medication error consistently increases in health care sector.
There are arguments to support that many older people leave hospital less able to function or mobilise than when they were admitted (de Morton, Keating & Jeffs 2007). This is due to the occurrence of deconditioning, a risk for many elderly patients admitted to an acute hospital setting. Deconditioning refers to the significant decline in the functional ability of patients, and is generally associated with prolonged bed rest and immobility (Kortebein, 2008). The term is used to describe the physiological changes caused by inactivity, with virtually every body system affected (Eliopoulos, 2010), and it also incorporates functional losses in mental status, ability to accomplish activities of daily living (ADLs) and a decrease in muscle mass and strength (Gillis, MacDonald & MacIsaac 2008). Hospitalisation is often the cause of deconditioning, particularly due to the focus on bed rest in order to recover from illness, or the limited mobility resulting from surgery.
Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness Nurs 440 May 27, 2013 Vulnerable Population and Self Awareness There are many types of vulnerable populations in today’s society that are vulnerable to certain illnesses or diseases. One of the most common vulnerable populations is the elderly. As the age increases most often it also corresponds with cognitive changes, specifically dementia. Chronic illnesses in the elderly increase their vulnerability and begin to be more dependent on others for assistance. Upon growing older there many choices to be made and one of the most difficult is having to place the elder person in a nursing home when he/she is no longer capable of being independent.
The affect of strokes on the body can range between mild dizziness or slight numbness to impaired speech and loss of motor control. Major strokes can block blood flow to the brain to the point where the brain becomes impaired. Once the brain shuts down, it is no longer sending signals to the parts of the body that require brain operation to function. This can impair heart function, which can lead to death in the matter of a few minutes. According the American Heart Association’s posted statistics in Chapter 12 of this week’s reading, out of more than 6.5 million Americans suffer from strokes each year, roughly 150,000 die as a result from the damage.
Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Fall Risks and Prevention Strategies Falls are a problem for most of the elderly population in the home, acute care setting, and long term care setting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC;2013), there is one out of three people over the age of 65 who have fallen and suffered serious injuries and even death. This has become a problem for patients, families, and healthcare facilities that can be prevented through education and awareness of surroundings. Falls can be devastating to patients due to increased hospital stay and decreased mobility. The purpose of this paper is to discuss data associated with falls, and identify risks and prevention strategies.
It is estimated that more than 3% of the American population suffers from psoriasis (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoeskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2009). Diseases that occur with psoriasis include cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and lymphoma (Menter, 2008). Psoriasis is a large problem for the normal functioning of daily living for more than 60% of individuals with the disease (National Psoriasis Fundation, n.d.). Psoriasis results from an altered regulation of inflammation due to abnormal activation of T-cells and a genetic predisposition (Menter, 2008). The chromosomal loci identified in psoriasis are the PSOR I-VIII.
Policy problem and goal: The quality of health care provided by nurses at hospital facilities has always been a point of controversial discussion in the United States (US), and even more so with the decline in the availability of qualified nurses and an increase in nurses that are overworked. The US, often referred to as a mecca for its world class hospitals and patient care facilities, is facing the worst shortage of qualified nurses in its history. Most hospitals in the nation are running on reduced nursing staff and often have to overwork their nursing staff to meet the demands of patient care. Research has shown that by reducing the number of nurses, patient outcomes deteriorate and length of stay increases (Garretson, 2004). Reducing nurse staffing can lead to overworked nurses, low staff morale, less patient satisfaction, and errors and more malpractice suits, which can raise the costs much more than hiring more nurses (Garretson).