Geriatrics

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Making good decisions requires that physicians have reliable and practical data. Comparative effectiveness reviews and objective findings on different medical interventions and strategies, as provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in its Effective Health Care Program, can help physicians make the most informed choices among treatment options.

LATEST ARTICLES

Biosynthetic skin substitutes provide rapid healing in stubborn wounds

Skin substitutes offer a number of advantages as wound dressings for persistent wounds in the elderly, according to Tania J. Phillips, M.D., professor of dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine. A primary advantage is that they are not invasive, she says.

New integrated therapies for wound healing on the horizon

An integrated, simultaneous therapy using new treatment options and comprehensive care of the patient's underlying medical issues are leading to great advances in wound healing, according to Harold Brem, M.D., F.A.C.S., chief of the division of wound healing and regenerative medicine, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, N.Y.

Effective Health Care Clinician Guides

Elderly patients may need assistance in caring for nails

Nails undergo a significant number of changes in elderly patients, including discoloration, increased curvature and a 40 percent reduction in the growth rate, according to Richard K. Scher, M.D., professor emeritus, dermatology, Columbia University, New York, and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Nonsurgical skin cancer care welcomed by elderly patients

Nonsurgical treatments offer an alternative approach when surgical options are not optimal for treating certain cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer in elderly patients, according to an expert. Topical and oral medications are useful if skin cancer is in a delicate area, enabling clinicians to eliminate the tumor or shrink it so it can be removed surgically.