Background: A holistic profile that includes demographic, medical history and wound characteristics of individuals with venous leg ulceration is lacking. Lack of such a profile negatively impacts the ability to develop interventions to improve patient outcomes.
Objectives: To describe the profile of the patient population with venous leg ulceration from published observational (non-interventional) studies and to identify gaps in the knowledge base for future research in this area.
Methods: A systematic review of observational studies that included more than 50 patients, from any world region, of any age and in any care setting.
Results: twenty studies, involving 3395 patients, from all world regions met our criteria. Demographic characteristics were well reported and showed a female to male ratio of 1.2:1, average age of 47-65 years, high levels of co-morbidities including hypertension (53-71%) and diabetes (16-20%), and only one study reporting ethnicity. When reported, approximately 4-30% had high levels of depression. The average wound size was 18.6-43.39 cm; mean wound duration was 13.8-65.5 months, mean number of recurrences was four. No study reported on demographic factors plus medical history plus wound characteristics together.
Conclusion: a comprehensive, holistic profile of the population with VLU is lacking. There is a critical need for more comprehensive profiling to enable the development of targeted interventions to improve outcomes.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtv.2020.08.003 | DOI Listing |
Int Wound J
January 2025
Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Preventing recurrence of venous leg ulcers can be achieved through strongest tolerated compression and endo-venous ablation surgery, but it is not clear how often this is done in practice. This study explores (1) nurses' awareness of strongest tolerated compression and endo-venous ablation surgery as prophylactic treatments for venous leg ulcer, (2) how often these treatments are offered, and (3) assessment of the barriers and enablers to deploying those treatments using the capabilities, opportunities and motivations model of behaviour change. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among nurses who treat and manage venous leg ulcers across the United Kingdom.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt Wound J
January 2025
Directorate of Nursing, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust/Imperial College London Education Centre, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK.
Guidance for venous leg ulceration (VLU) recommends compression therapy and early referral for specialist vascular assessment within two weeks. Few patients receive timely assessment and referral. Reasons for this are unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Wound Care
January 2025
Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology of Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of an innovative multicomponent compression system in a single bandage (UrgoK1, Laboratoires Urgo, France) in the treatment of patients with venous leg ulcers (VLUs) and/or lower limb oedema in everyday practice.
Method: A prospective, observational, clinical study with the evaluated compression system was conducted in 39 centres in Germany between March 2022 and July 2023. Main outcomes included a description of the treated patients, changes in wound healing and oedema progression, local tolerance and acceptability of the compression system.
J Clin Med
December 2024
Department of Cardiology, Umberto I Hospital, 84014 Nocera Inferiore, Italy.
Heart and lung sharing the same anatomical space are influenced by each other. Spontaneous breathing induces dynamic changes in intrathoracic pressure, impacting cardiac function, particularly the right ventricle. In intensive care units (ICU), mechanical ventilation (MV) and therefore positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) are often applied, and this inevitably influences cardiac function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostics (Basel)
January 2025
Research Center on Thromboembolic Diseases and Antithrombotic Treatment, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a pathological condition that develops when a thrombus forms within the deep venous system. Typically, it involves the lower limbs and, less frequently, the upper extremities or other unusual districts such as cerebral or splanchnic veins. While leg DVT itself is rarely fatal and occasionally can lead to limb-threatening implications, its most fearsome complication, namely pulmonary embolism, is potentially fatal and significantly contributes to increased healthcare costs and impaired quality of life in affected patients and caregivers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!