How To Care For Pressure Ulcers In Palliative Care Patients
I’d like to recommend this article (full reference below) to anyone involved in the care of palliative care patients, as well as anyone who does wound care. It is a thoughtful and well written consensus paper from the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel.
The article begins by pointing out the difference in goals between palliative care patients and the usual patients with pressure ulcers (PrU).
Usual care of a PrU is designed to promote healing; however, healing or closing the ulcer in patients receiving palliative care is often improbable. Therefore, the focus of care is better directed to reduce or eliminate pain, odor, and infection and allow for an environment that can promote ulcer closure, as well as improve self-image to help prevent social isolation.
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*