This case takes place in Tennessee and involves an obese female patient who underwent extensive surgery on her bowels. She was discharged to a nursing facility post operatively in order to recover. Some time after being admitted, a small lesion was noted on the patient’s back. An order was made for the patient to be rotated regularly in order to prevent further damage, however the notes indicate that this was not done.
Eventually the patient was also placed in restrains, which prevented her from moving on her own. Some time late, several lesions were noted on the patient’s back. Wound care was consulted and made notes to follow up with the patient. The wounds were only evaluated sporadically from that point forward. Eventually, the patient’s lesions became serious enough to require surgical treatment. Nevertheless, the patient ultimately succumbed to infections caused by the pressure wounds.
Questions to the Wound Care expert and their responses
Do you treat patients like the one described in this case?
Yes, I treat many patients with pressure ulcers in my current practice. I treat them in the acute hospital inpatient setting, the rehab setting, the skilled nursing facility setting and in the outpatient clinic setting.
About the author
Joseph O'Neill
Joe has extensive experience in online journalism and technical writing across a range of legal topics, including personal injury, meidcal malpractice, mass torts, consumer litigation, commercial litigation, and more. Joe spent close to six years working at Expert Institute, finishing up his role here as Director of Marketing. He has considerable knowledge across an array of legal topics pertaining to expert witnesses. Currently, Joe servces as Owner and Demand Generation Consultant at LightSail Consulting.
