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Age, Frailty and Impaired Wound Healing

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Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery

Abstract

Chronic wounds in older individuals are among the most devastating and difficult to treat age-related ailments and are strongly intertwined with a sense of self-worth and quality of life. As the population ages, it is increasingly clear that there is a subset of older adults that is disproportionately vulnerable to developing chronic wounds and is at especially high risk for iatrogenic complications with wound care interventions. In these frail older individuals, wounds are usually caused by decline in more than one domain of function, in contrast to younger individuals. New or difficult to treat wounds in older individuals can therefore be a sign of medical illness and like other geriatric syndromes should trigger a comprehensive evaluation. The aim of this chapter is to review the approach to older adults with wounds including comprehensive risk and functional assessment, identification of red flags, medications, special considerations for management of wounds in frailty, the role of palliative care and wound rehabilitation programs, counseling, and compensatory strategies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Lisa J. Gould

  2. Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Peter M. Abadir

  3. Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System/Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    E. Foy White-Chu

Authors
  1. Lisa J. Gould
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  2. Peter M. Abadir
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  3. E. Foy White-Chu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa J. Gould .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Surgical Service, Yale University School of Medicine VA Connecticut Health Care System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Ronnie A. Rosenthal

  2. SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, National Capital Region Johns Hopkins Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Michael E. Zenilman

  3. Center for Geriatric Surgery, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Mark R. Katlic

Section Editor information

  1. School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12631 E 17th Ave, MS C313, 80045, Aurora, CO, USA

    Thomas Robinson

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Gould, L.J., Abadir, P.M., White-Chu, E.F. (2017). Age, Frailty and Impaired Wound Healing. In: Rosenthal, R., Zenilman, M., Katlic, M. (eds) Principles and Practice of Geriatric Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20317-1_27-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20317-1_27-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20317-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20317-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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