Paclitaxel and mortality in patients with claudication and de novo femoropopliteal lesions: a historical cohort study.

Objective: To compare the mortality rates of patients with claudication and de novo femoropopliteal lesions treated with and without paclitaxel coated devices (PCD).

Background: A recent meta-analysis, mostly including patients with claudication and de novo femoropopliteal lesions but also with recurrent stenoses and critical limb ischemia, has shown a significant excess mortality in patients treated with PCD.

Methods: Comparison of two historical cohorts of patients presenting with claudication and de novo femoropopliteal lesions treated with and without PCD between 2008 and 2018.

Chronic oedema/lymphoedema: under-recognised and under-treated.

Even though it is estimated that at least 300 000 people in Canada may be affected by chronic oedema/lymphoedema, recognition of the seriousness of this chronic disease in health care is scarce. Lymphoedema affects up to 70% of breast and prostate cancer patients, substantially increasing their postoperative medical costs. Adding to this problem are the escalating rates of morbid obesity across North America and the fact that 80% of these individuals are thought to suffer with an element of lymphoedema.

New advances in compression therapy for venous leg ulcers.

Leg ulceration, often caused by venous stasis, arterial insufficiency, or both, is a common chronic health condition often associated with a prolonged healing trajectory and frequent recurrence. It is estimated that approximately 1.5 to 3.

Evidence-based practice standards for the use of topical pressurised oxygen therapy.

Whenever a new therapy enters the wound care arena it is mandatory to deliver the best evidence to clinicians, healthcare administrators and policy makers to support integration of the technology into clinical practice. While this can often be problematic when novel therapies lack a large body of supporting evidence, methods that incorporate the use of expert opinion do exist to evaluate existing evidence and create consensus statements that can help guide decisions. Topical pressurised oxygen therapy is a method of delivering pressurised and humidified oxygen directly to the wound bed to support the healing of chronic and hypoxic wounds.