T he primary goal for burn wound management is to excise the devitalized tissue and close the wound as soon as possible. Secondary goals of wound care are to promote healing and to maintain function of the affected body part. These goals are accomplished by excising devitalized tissue, preventing wound infection and graft loss, and maintaining correct positioning and splinting throughout hospitalization.

In children, scald burns are common and in young children are best managed with conservative treatment for 2 to 3 weeks, which allows the wound either to heal or to present as a third-de

P ropelled in large part by the increasing number of people with diabetes who have subsequent foot problems, podiatry is moving into the mainstream of medicine. Because of their knowledge of biomechanics, offloading, and debridement, podiatrists can provide the prophylactic and emergent foot wound care that physicians in other specialties may not have the training or inclination to offer. Most surgical specialties deal with acute pathologies; however, podiatrists often treat chronic conditions, thus setting the stage for care of chronic wounds. Their recognition as important members of multidi

Quantification of the Problem

Urinary incontinence. To those who suffer from, live with, and care for others experiencing the condition, the meaning is clear. Ouslander and Johnson¹ define urinary incontinence (UI) as the involuntary loss of urine in sufficient amounts with enough frequency to have negative health and social consequences. Miller² acknowledges that UI is widespread, but has been largely ignored for years. In an older article, Borrie³ concludes that incontinence is often viewed as inevitable and accepted with resignation. Since

T he loss of soft tissue from the foot, either from trauma or as the result of a diabetic foot ulcer, can be a difficult problem to resolve. When tissue is lost from the weight-bearing surface of the foot, the result may be catastrophic. The plantar soft tissues have unique functional properties integrated into the biomechanics of weight-bearing that allow them to resist external stress and protect the skeletal architecture. A full-thickness tissue loss from weight-bearing areas requires replacement with tissues whose physical properties are similar to those that were lost. Unfortunately, simp