EPIDEMIOLOGY OF VENOUS ULCERS

SummaryTraditionally, venous leg ulcers are treated with firm nonelastic bandages. Medical compression stockings are not the first choice although comparative studies found them equally effective or superior to bandages. Patients, methods: We report on a multi-center randomized trial with 60 patients treated with either short stretch multi-layer bandages or a two-stocking system (Sigvaris® Ulcer X® kit). Three patients have been excluded because their ankle movement was restricted to the extent that they could not put on the stockings and 1 patient withdrew consent. Patient characteristics and ulcer features were evenly distributed. The proportion of ulcers healed within 4 months and the time to completion of healing were recorded. Subjective appraisal was assessed with a validated questionnaire. Results: Complete wound closure was achieved in 70.0% (21 of 30) with bandages and in 96.2% (25 of 26) with the ulcer X kit (p = 0.011). Ulcers with a diameter of up to about 4cm healed twice as rapidly, the larger ones as fast with the stocking kit as with bandages. The sum of problems encountered with bandages was significantly greater than that observed with the stocking kit (p < 0.0001). Pain at night and in the morning was absent with stockings but reported by 40% and 20% in the bandage group, respectively. The cardinal features associated with delayed or absent healing were ulcer size and pain. Conclusions: Common venous ulcers can readily be treated with the ulcer X compression kit provided the ankle movement allow its painless donning. Bandages, even when applied by the most experienced staff are less effective and cause more problems.

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Healing venous ulcers with different modalities of leg compression

Phlebologie ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1622150 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 35 (05) ◽

pp. 349-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

E. O. Brizzio ◽

G. Rossi ◽

A. Chirinos ◽

I. Cantero ◽

G. Idiazabal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wound Care ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Compression Therapy ◽

Healing Time ◽

Clinical Parameters ◽

Compression Stockings ◽

Local Pressure ◽

Ulcer Size ◽

Venous Ulcers ◽

Unexpected Findings

Summary Background: Compression therapy (CT) is the stronghold of treatment of venous leg ulcers. We evaluated 5 modalities of CT in a prospective open pilot study using a unique trial design. Patients and methods: A group of experienced phlebologists assigned 31 consecutive patients with 35 venous ulcers (present for 2 to 24 months with no prior CT) to 5 different modalities of leg compression, 7 ulcers to each group. The challenge was to match the modality of CT with the features of the ulcer in order to achieve as many healings as possible. Wound care used standard techniques and specifically tailored foam pads to increase local pressure. CT modalities were either stockings Sigvaris® 15-20, 20-30, 30-40 mmHg, multi-layer bandages, or CircAid® bandaging. Compression was maintained day and night in all groups and changed at weekly visits. Study endpoints were time to healing and the clinical parameters predicting the outcome. Results: The cumulative healing rates were 71%, 77%, and 83% after 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively. Univariate analysis of variables associated with nonhealing were: previous surgery, presence of insufficient perforating and/or deep veins, older age, recurrence, amount of oedema, time of presence of CVI and the actual ulcer, and ulcer size (p <0.05-<0.001). The initial ulcer size was the best predictor of the healing-time (Pearson r=0.55, p=0.002). The modality of CT played an important role also, as 19 of 21 ulcers (90%) healed with stockings but only 8 of 14 with bandages (57%; p=0.021). Regression analysis allowed to calculate a model to predict the healing time. It compensated for the fact that patients treated with low or moderate compression stockings were at lower risk of non-healing. and revealed that healing with stockings was about twice as rapid as healing with bandages. Conclusion: Three fourths of venous ulcers can be brought to healing within 3 to 6 months. Healing time can be predicted using easy to assess clinical parameters. Irrespective of the initial presentation ulcer healing appeared more rapid with the application of stockings than with bandaging. These unexpected findings contradict current believes and require confirmation in randomised trials.

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Medidas para prevenção de recidivas de úlceras venosas

Revista Recien - Revista Científica de Enfermagem ◽

10.24276/rrecien2020.10.31.96-104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (31) ◽

pp. 96-104

Author(s):

Caroline Muller Almeida ◽

Suelen Elias da Veiga Freitas ◽

Aline Affonso Luna ◽

Cintia Silva Fassarella ◽

Priscilla Alfradique de Souza

Keyword(s):

Relapse Prevention ◽

Selection Criteria ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Venous Ulcer ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Venous Ulcers ◽

Ulcer Relapse ◽

Varicose Ulcer ◽

Key Word ◽

Review Study

Identificar e analisar evidências científicas adotadas na prevenção de recidivas de úlceras venosas. Trata-se de um estudo de revisão integrativa da literatura, descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa, realizado entre outubro e novembro de 2017, a partir de consulta de bases de dados nacionais e internacionais. Os descritores utilizados foram “úlcera venosa”, “úlcera varicosa”, “recidiva” associados à palavra chave “prevenção”. Recorreu análise temática de conteúdo, emergindo duas categorias. Dos 305 artigos encontrados, 10 foram selecionados atendendo aos critérios de seleção. As principais evidências observadas foram “medidas para a prevenção de recidivas de úlceras venosas” e “facilidades e dificuldades da implementação de medidas preventivas”. Evidenciou-se que as medidas são diversas para prevenir as recidivas de úlcera venosa, no entanto, a adesão ainda é fator limitador as práticas devido à complexidade que a envolve.Descritores: Úlcera Venosa, Recidiva, Prevenção. Measures to prevent recurrence of venous ulcersAbstract: To identify and analyze scientific evidences adopted in the prevention of venous ulcers recurrences. It is an integrative literature review study, descriptive, with a qualitative approach, carried out between October and November 2017, based on consultation of national and international databases. The descriptors used were "venous ulcer", "varicose ulcer", "relapse" associated with the key word "prevention". It resorted to thematic analysis of content, emerging two categories. Of the 305 articles found, 10 were selected according to the selection criteria. The main evidences observed were "measures for the prevention of relapses of venous ulcers" and "facilities and difficulties of the implementation of preventive measures". It was evidenced that the measures are diverse to prevent the recurrence of venous ulcer, however, adherence is still a limiting factor to the practices due to the complexity that involves it.Descriptors: Venous Ulcer, Relapse, Prevention. Medidas para la prevención de recidivas de úlceras venosasResumen: Identificar y analizar evidencias científicas adoptadas en la prevención de recidivas de úlceras venosas. Este es un estudio integrador de revisión de literatura, descriptivo, con un enfoque cualitativo, realizado entre octubre y noviembre de 2017, basado en la consulta de bases de datos nacionales e internacionales. Los descriptores utilizados fueron "úlcera venosa", "úlcera varicosa", "recidiva" asociados a la palabra clave "prevención". Se recurrió análisis temático de contenido, emergiendo dos categorías. De los 305 artículos encontrados, 10 fueron seleccionados atendiendo a los criterios de selección. Las principales evidencias observadas fueron "medidas para la prevención de recidivas de úlceras venosas" y "facilidades y dificultades de la aplicación de medidas preventivas". Se evidenció que las medidas son diversas para prevenir las recidivas de úlcera venosa, sin embargo, la adherencia todavía es factor limitante en las prácticas debido a la complejidad que la envuelve.Descriptores: Úlcera Varicosa, Recurrencia, Prevención.

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Blood Vessel Density Measured Using Dynamic Optical Coherence Tomography is a Tool for Wound Healers

The International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds ◽

10.1177/15347346211017334 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 153473462110173

Author(s):

Rajgopal Mani ◽

Jon Holmes ◽

Kittipan Rerkasem ◽

Nikolaos Papanas

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Optical Coherence Tomography ◽

Blood Vessel ◽

Chronic Wounds ◽

Vessel Density ◽

Optical Coherence ◽

Skin Microcirculation ◽

Wound Edge ◽

Venous Ulcers ◽

Oct Imaging

Dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) is a relatively new technique that may be used to study the substructures in the retina, in the skin and its microcirculation. Furthermore, D-OCT is a validated method of imaging blood flow in skin microcirculation. The skin around venous and mixed arterio-venous ulcers was imaged and found to have tortuous vessels assumed to be angiogenic sprouts, and classified as dots, blobs, coils, clumps, lines, and curves. When these images were analyzed and measurements of vessel density were made, it was observed that the prevalence of coils and clumps in wound borders was significantly greater compared with those at wound centers. This reinforced the belief of inward growth of vessels from wound edge toward wound center which, in turn, reposed confidence in following the wound edge to study healing. D-OCT imaging permits the structure and the function of the microcirculation to be imaged, and vessel density measured. This offers a new vista of skin microcirculation and using it, to better understand angiogenesis in chronic wounds.

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Radiofrequency ablation for markedly incompetent perforators versus compression therapy in the management of post-phelebtic venous ulcers: A randomized controlled trial

Vascular ◽

10.1177/17085381211010022 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 170853812110100

Author(s):

Mohamed Shukri Abdelgawad ◽

Amr M El-Shafei ◽

Hesham A Sharaf El-Din ◽

Ehab M Saad ◽

Tamer A Khafagy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Radiofrequency Ablation ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Compression Therapy ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Venous Ulcers ◽

Group A ◽

Group B ◽

To Receive

Background Venus ulcers developed mainly due to reflux of incompetent venous valves in perforating veins. Patients and methods In this randomized controlled trial, 119 patients recruited over two years, with post-phelebtic venous leg ulcers, were randomly assigned into one of two groups: either to receive radiofrequency ablation of markedly incompetent perforators (Group A, n = 62 patients) or to receive conventional compression therapy (Group B, n = 57 patients). Follow-up duration required for ulcer healing continued for 24 months post randomization. Results Statistically significant shorter time to healing (ulcer complete healing or satisfactory clinical improvement) between both groups (56 patients, 90.3% of cases in Group A versus 44 patients 77.2% of cases in Group B) over the follow-up period of 24 months was attained ( p = 0.001). Also, significantly different ulcer recurrence was recorded between both groups, 8 patients (12.9%) in Group A versus 19 patients (33.3%) in Group B ( p = 0.004). Conclusion In absence of deep venous obstruction, the monopolar radiofrequency ablation for incompetent perforators is a feasible and effective method that surpasses the traditional compression protocol for incompetent perforator-induced venous ulcers in terms of time required for healing even in the presence of unresolved deep venous valvular reflux.

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Bioimpedance method for monitoring venous ulcers: Clinical proof-of-concept study

Biosensors and Bioelectronics ◽

10.1016/j.bios.2021.112974 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 112974

Author(s):

Atte Kekonen ◽

Mikael Bergelin ◽

Jan-Erik Eriksson ◽

Annikki Vaalasti ◽

Heimo Ylänen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proof Of Concept ◽

Concept Study ◽

Venous Ulcers

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Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Healing Rate and Safety of the Profore™ Extra Four-Layer Bandage System in Patients with Venous Leg Ulceration

Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery ◽

10.1177/120347540000400103 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 8-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Aditya K. Gupta ◽

Joel De Koven ◽

Robert Lester ◽

Neil H. Shear ◽

Daniel N. Sauder

Keyword(s):

Healing Rate ◽

The Elderly ◽

Leg Ulcers ◽

Open Label ◽

Open Label Study ◽

Label Study ◽

Venous Leg Ulcers ◽

Initial Event ◽

Venous Ulcers ◽

High Compression

Background: Venous ulcers are increasing in prevalence, especially since these are observed more frequently in the elderly, and the number of individuals in this age group is becoming a larger portion of the population. Objective: To determine the healing rate and safety of the Profore™ Extra Four-Layer Bandage System in the management of venous leg ulcers. Methods: In an open-label study, patients aged 18 years or older with venous leg ulcers were treated with a high compression four-layer bandage system in which a hydrocellular dressing was placed in contact with the wound. The combination is designated the “Profore Extra Four-Layer Bandage System.” Follow-up visits took place weekly unless there was heavy exudation from the ulcer or if there was marked edema of the leg at the start of the study requiring reapplication of the bandage system. Results: Fifteen patients were entered into the study (men 8, women 7, mean age 66 years, mean duration of ulcers 1.3 years). Thirteen of the 15 patients completed the study, with two withdrawals. In one patient who withdrew, the ulcer became infected and required treatment with antibiotics. The other termination from the study occurred for reasons unrelated to treatment. The ulcer in this patient healed in 7 weeks. Ten of the 13 patients (77%) who completed the study, and 10 (67%) of 15, who had enrolled experienced complete (100%) healing. Healing of > 80% of the ulcers occurred in 11 of 13 patients (85%) who completed the study and in 12 (80%) of 15 enrolled patients. No patient experienced a study-related adverse event. One patient developed contact dermatitis and was later found to have stasis dermatitis. It is unclear whether the initial event was contact or stasis dermatitis. Conclusion: In this open-label study, a high compression system, using the Profore Extra Four-Layer Bandage with a hydrocellular dressing in contact with the wound, was found to be effective and safe for the treatment of venous leg ulcers.

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