Rehab Select Blog

The kidneys are remarkable multi-function organs that play a critical role in regulating blood glucose levels. However, when glucose levels are too high, the kidneys can sustain damage, reducing their ability to filter glucose out of the blood stream. The relationship between diabetes and your kidneys can either be really good, or really bad... resulting in a love-hate kind of connection.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects how the body produces and uses insulin – a hormone produced by the pancreas – which is vital to normal absorption of glucose (sugar) into the body's cells to be used as energy. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, your body may be producing too little insulin, may not be able to use insulin efficiently, or may be affected by some combination of both issues, which lead to abnormally high levels of glucose in the bloodstream.

Ulcers are areas in which the skin has eroded, creating an open wound. They are often round and crater-like, may leak fluid or blood, and the skin around the ulcer may be red, inflamed, tender to the touch, and in some cases, very painful. Ulcers may affect just the surface layers of skin, or they can extend deep into the underlying dermal layers or even into the fat layer beneath the skin. The most common types of skin ulcers are stasis ulcers and pressure ulcers.

Knee replacement surgery is a very effective treatment for chronic knee problems, offering patients significant pain relief and restoring mobility and quality of life. If you have recently had this procedure, taking good care of yourself during recovery and rehabilitation is the best way to ensure that you are among the majority of patients who obtain those successful results. Here are the basic things you need to know.

If you have had surgery, good surgical wound care is important to ensure proper healing and recovery, prevention of excess scarring, and protection against infections and other complications. Once you are discharged from the hospital, the responsibility for that care will rest primarily on your shoulders and will include caring for the incision, cleaning the wound, changing dressings, applying any prescribed topical treatments, taking antibiotics or other medications as directed, and monitoring the wound for signs of infection.

Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs that can be caused by a variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These infections are characterized by inflammation and/or a buildup of fluid and pus in the alveoli – the tiny air sacs of the lungs. Pneumonia can, in many cases, become very serious, resulting in extreme sickness or even death. While anyone can be affected by pneumonia, the condition is most dangerous in people over age 65, children under the age of 5, and individuals who are affected by underlying health problems or have weakened immune systems.

If you have just had hip replacement surgery, you likely have a lot of questions about what to expect during the recovery and rehabilitation process. The first thing to know is that it is important to follow your surgeon's post-op limitations and instructions very carefully to avoid complications and setbacks as you work to get back on your feet. Secondly, getting back to normal will take time, and taking an active role in your own care, healing, and rehabilitation can help ensure that the process moves along as quickly as possible.

Sepsis is a serious and often life-threatening complication of an infection. It occurs when the body has an overwhelming response to a bacterial infection, releasing infection-fighting chemicals into the bloodstream that trigger inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation can lead to blood clots and leaky blood vessels, which causes poor blood flow, depriving the body and its organs of the oxygen and nutrients needed to function effectively. In severe cases, organs may fail. In the worst cases, a dangerous drop in blood pressure occurs and the heart is weakened, leading to a life-threatening condition called septic shock.

Cellulitis is a common and potentially serious bacterial skin infection. It typically appears as a swollen, red patch of skin that feels hot and tender to the touch, and it often spreads rapidly. The most common area for this infection to occur is on the lower legs, but cellulitis can affect any area of the face and body. The infection may affect only surface skin but can also extend into underlying tissues, and in some cases, can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream, a development that can become a serious or even life-threatening medical problem.

If you plan to use the services of a short term rehab program as a means of ensuring your best recovery after surgery, choosing a top-notch program that delivers quality care is essential to meeting that goal. One of the most important factors to consider in order to assess the quality of care you can expect from such a program is the patient to staff ratio of that program. What is the patient to staff ratio and why is it so important?