Today's Malady: the sore that killed Superman
Today's malady is dedicated to all of you computer geeks who spend all of your time seated, unmoving, in one position - which is to say, a large majority of my Livejournal readers ;)
Today's malady is the decubitus ulcer, also known as the "pressure ulcer" or "bedsore".
It is one of these which contributed to the death of Christopher Reeve; as with any open wound, a decubitus ulcer can go septic - in which case, you're in big trouble.
Why did I choose bedsores of all things, and not some exotic tropical fever, for today's malady?
On the forums over at The StudentDoctor Network, ER folk describe advanced sacral decubitus ulcers as some of the most horrifying things they've ever seen - in one case, the bone was visible and urine was leaking out of the hole in the poor soul's back.
Decubitus is often political, as it can be one of the hallmarks of elder abuse and neglect, especially in nursing homes.
Today's malady is the decubitus ulcer, also known as the "pressure ulcer" or "bedsore".
It is one of these which contributed to the death of Christopher Reeve; as with any open wound, a decubitus ulcer can go septic - in which case, you're in big trouble.
Why did I choose bedsores of all things, and not some exotic tropical fever, for today's malady?
On the forums over at The StudentDoctor Network, ER folk describe advanced sacral decubitus ulcers as some of the most horrifying things they've ever seen - in one case, the bone was visible and urine was leaking out of the hole in the poor soul's back.
Decubitus is often political, as it can be one of the hallmarks of elder abuse and neglect, especially in nursing homes.
posted by Today's Malady at
4:34 PM
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