title: Management of the skin and soft tissue in the geriatric surgical patient.
abstract: Aging has significant effects on the healing ability of the geriatric population. When the elderly suffer injuries, they have a decreased metabolic reserve to handle the stress required to recover. Diseases of the elderly, such as malnutrition, diabetes mellitus, treatment of malignancies, and vascular disease, all impair tissue repair. The geriatric population is more prone to pressure ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, and other chronic wounds. This review discusses how changes in the elderly lead to impaired healing or chronic wounds. Prevention of these problems and their treatment are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, University of California, Davis Medical Center, 2425 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Electronic address: david.greenhalgh@ucmdc.ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Greenhalgh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Burns; Chronic wounds; Geriatric; Skin; Wound healing