By Jeffrey Levine MD

Please join me Thursday, November 16 from 3:00-4:00pm EST for a free webinar presented by myself and Elizabeth A. Ayello, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, CWOCN, ETN, MAPWCA, FAAN sponsored by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP), entitled, Unavoidable Pressure Injuries, Terminal Ulceration, and Skin Failure: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

After the initial announcement, all 1000 lines filled up! So due to popular demand the NPUAP added this second live presentation. One hour of multidisciplinary Continuing Education credit is available.

Evolving Concepts: Unavoidable Pressure Injuries and Skin Failure

Skin failure is an emerging concept that deserves wider acceptance, particularly in the palliative care setting. Clinicians have long recognized that skin failure exists, but adoption of the name has been limited due to lack of a universally accepted definition. Terms such as Kennedy Terminal Ulcer (KTU), Skin Changes at Life’s End (SCALE), and the Trombley-Brennan Terminal Tissue Injury (TB-TTI) have been advocated to describe skin breakdown in patients who are dying. However this nomenclature does not fit into the clinical course of wounds that have similar characteristics in patients who recover from critical illness but have residual pressure injury. The term 'skin failure' assembles these phenomena into an easily understandable and more clinically accurate term.

This webinar will review the evolution of concepts regarding unavoidable pressure injuries, terminal ulcers, and skin failure and define current concepts and terminologies as they exist today. This webinar will also review the evidence for each concept, state current CMS regulations and guidance regarding these concepts and suggest a path for the future.

Click here for more information on the webinar and how to register.

If you are unable to attend the live webinar or are interested in viewing previous webinars that were presented in 2015, 2016 and this year please click here to access the recordings and handouts:

About the Author
Dr. Jeffrey Levine is a board-certified internist and geriatrician with over thirty years of experience in wound care in hospitals, nursing homes, and home care environments. He is a voluntary attending physician at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, and Associate Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He received his fellowship training in geriatrics at the Mount Sinai Medical Center where he began his interest in chronic wounds. He is an elected board member of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP).

Dr. Levine's interest in pressure ulcers began in the 1980s during his geriatric training when he noticed that many of his nursing home patients had pressure ulcers but there was little reliable information on treatment methods. This motivated him to study not just prevention and treatment of chronic wounds, but to delve into the rich history of wound care over the centuries. He has since published a number of articles on historical topics ranging from wound care in ancient Egypt through the 20th Century.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author, and do not represent the views of WoundSource, Kestrel Health Information, Inc., its affiliates, or subsidiary companies.