Summary
Currently, pressure ulcer disease has been a concern to medical experts in terms of its prevalence and the cost of managing it. Globally, the number of individuals suffering from the disease is unknown due to the fact that most of the victims do not report their situations to medical experts. In the United States, it is estimated that the number of hospitalized individuals suffering from the disease ranges from 2% to 15% (Leatherman & McCarthy, 2010).
Pressure ulcers have serious implications on our health care system and patients’ livelihoods. As such, the disease is not only costly to manage but also causes social costs to their victims. The disease’s victims undergo pain, distress, and sometimes isolation. Data collected from several researchers postulate that the disease costs the US government more than $1.3 billion annually (Leatherman & McCarthy, 2010).
As the disease poses enormous challenges in the hospital and healthcare setups, attention has not only been focused on treating the disease but also preventing it. Several types of research done on the disease indicate that there are a number of methods of managing the disease. Notably, medical experts emphasize that adequate nutrition can help in the wound healing process and reduce incidences of developing pressure ulcers (Kifer, 2012). On the other hand, a decrease in cases of malnutrition, dehydration, and obesity has been postulated to reduce the risk of developing pressure ulcers in institutionalized adult patients. While the mechanisms in which adequate nutrition aid in reducing incidences of pressure and wound healing are still argued, there is adequate evidence that suggests that high protein foods, vitamin-rich foods, and nutrient supplements reduce the risks of pressure ulcers in adult patients by 25% (Leatherman & McCarthy, 2010). Concerning the above hypotheses, heated debates have been generated on whether adequate nutrition or the absence of malnutrition reduces the risk of developing pressure ulcers in institutionalized adult patients (McCulloch & Kloth, 2010). As a result, more studies need to be conducted to identify the best approach to be taken in the treatment and prevention of the prevalence of the disease.
Descriptive Questions
How effective is the management of pressure ulcer diseases through the adequate nutrition approach in institutionalized adult patients? How effective is the management of pressure ulcer diseases through malnutrition prevention programs in institutionalized adult patients? What are the benefits of reducing incidences of pressure ulcers through adequate nutrition initiatives? What are the benefits of reducing incidences of pressure ulcers through malnutrition prevention programs? What are some of the components of malnutrition primary prevention programs that have been developed and tested over the last few years? What are some of the adequate nutrition programs developed and tested over the last few years? What are the determinants that influence the approach taken on the management of pressure ulcer diseases? What is the percentage of institutionalized adults suffering from pressure ulcers related cases?
Comparative Questions
Between adequate nutrition programs and malnutrition primary prevention programs, what approach is the most effective in managing pressure ulcer diseases? Between nutrition programs and malnutrition primary prevention programs, what approach has adequate research to ascertain its hypotheses? As compared to malnutrition primary prevention programs, why are adequate nutrition programs most preferred?
Correlation Questions
What are the similarities between adequate nutrition programs and malnutrition primary prevention programs? What are the dissimilarities between adequate nutrition programs and malnutrition primary prevention programs?
References
Kifer, Z. A. (2012). Fast facts for wound care nursing: practical wound management in a nutshell. New York: Springer Pub.
Leatherman, S. T., & McCarthy, D. (2010). Quality of health care in the United States: a chartbook. New York, NY: Commonwealth Fund.
McCulloch, J. M., & Kloth, L. (2010). Wound healing: evidence-based management (4th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A.