Medical providers, and especially wound care providers, seem to always be under the looming shadow of lawsuits and legal issues. I have written about this before, but it continues to be an issue as I receive requests for legal reviews repeatedly. I have read many charts for legal reviews, and it actually is very straightforward to avoid or mitigate any legal problems.

Tetanus is a multisystem disease that occurs worldwide and is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani. This bacterium is present in feces and soil. Tetanus has been mostly eradicated in the United States because of childhood immunization; however, there have been reported cases among immigrants, as well as young adults who partake in higher-risk behaviors such as body piercing and tattooing and those who fail to maintain adult booster immunization. Other risk factors include diabetes or chronic wounds. It is fatal in approximately 10% to 30% of cases. Tetanus can be localized (with muscle contractions in the part of the body where the infection began) or generalized (affecting the entire body). Most reported tetanus cases are generalized.

How do you prevent pressure ulcers? This is an interesting question and one that eludes many. Currently, I am involved in reviewing research proposals to prevent pressure ulcers (injuries). The funny thing is that there is nothing new. Everyone is using the same known techniques, just trying different forms. However, there is a proven way to prevent pressure ulcers and it was done years ago in a Cincinnati nursing home I was working in without any fanfare. The results from this nursing home wound care program were even published.