Pressure Injuries and the Human Warranty

In this post I will discuss two recent articles that together make the case that pressure injuries might be a manifestation of a human biological warranty. The first is Unavoidable Pressure Injury: State of the Science and Consensus Outcomes, published in the Journal of Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing (JWOCN), and the second is How Long Must Humans Live? from the Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences. These articles come from widely divergent sources but when placed side by side there are insights about pressure injuries and the burning question of avoidability.   The JWOCN article is a literature review that provides a convincing argument for unavoidability of many pressure injuries. This contrasts with the traditional but outdated view that pressure injuries always reflect poor quality care. The second article makes a persuasive case for a human biological warranty period. This warranty is similar to the one that applies to automobiles and appliances, which informs us that after expiration there is limited life expectancy and increased probability of breakage or dysfunction. There are no guarantees after warranty expiration, and humans can expect decreased health and vigor, increased number of diseases, and a rise in mortality. The authors use several lines of evidence to identify the biological equivalent of a human warranty period. They define our warranty as the window of time to achieve the biological mandate of growth and reproduction – also known as...
Source: Jeffrey M. Levine MD | Geriatric Specialist | Wound Care | Pressure Ulcers - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: An Aging World Featured Medical Articles Geriatric Medicine Pressure Injuries & Wound Care geriatrics gerontology human mortality long life longevity pressure sores pressure ulcers wound healing Source Type: blogs