Prolonged healing of venous leg ulcers: the role of venous reflux, ulcer characteristics and mobility

Can Thermal Imaging Technique be Used to Predict the Healing Status of a Venous Leg Ulcer?

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most common chronic wound types in older populations, with many wounds not healing in the normal trajectory. Many older people with wounds are treated in their homes, currently assessed by monitoring the wound area over weeks to ascertain the potential for healing. A noncontact method using thermal imaging has been shown to predict the healing trajectory of diabetes-related foot ulcers, although has not been tested in VLU or the home setting. This project investigated the effectiveness of using thermal imaging to predict VLU healing in the homes of participants. Images of 78 ulcers were collected weekly using a thermal camera from 67 participants in their homes, at 5 consecutive time points. Final follow-up calls were undertaken at 12 weeks to ascertain healing status (healed/unhealed). Images were preprocessed and segmented and the area of the region of the wound was extracted. Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to test the association of the change of areas over the 5 consecutive weeks with the healing status of the ulcers at 12 weeks. The 95% confidence interval plots were obtained to study the distribution of the area in the healed and unhealed cases. This study found that the difference in the imaged areas between unhealed ulcers at 12 weeks did not reach statistical significance using thermal imaging. Therefore, thermal images could not predict healing progression in VLUs when the images were taken in the homes of participants. Future research to improve the prediction of venous leg ulcer healing should include developing a protocol to standardize conditions, improve imaging process methods, and use machine learning.

Healing outcomes and predictors among patients with venous leg ulcers treated with compression therapy

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the healing outcomes between three types of compression therapy-two-layer bandage (2LB), four-layer bandage (4LB), and compression stockings, and to identify the predictors of venous leg ulcer (VLU) healing.

METHOD

A retrospective review of the medical records of patients diagnosed with VLU between 2011 and 2016 in Singapore was conducted. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done between healed and unhealed VLU patients at three and six months, based on potential factors, ranging from demographic profile to comorbidities and treatment-related variables.

RESULTS

Data from 377 patients' medical records were analysed. The healing rates with the three types of compression system, 4LB, 2LB and compression stockings, were 22.3%, 34.9% and 8.7% respectively at three months; at six months they were 44.2%, 41.9% and 34.8% respectively. Patients on 2LB reported a significantly higher proportion of healed ulcers at three months (p=0.003) but at six months there was no difference in healing rates between the three types of therapy. At three and six months, the duration of compression therapy was found to be an independent predictor of healing (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

In this study, the 2LB appeared to show the most favourable healing outcome in the short-term but as VLUs persisted beyond the months, the type of compression system used did not make a difference in the healing outcome. Our findings suggested that, as the duration became more prolonged, VLUs became more resistant to healing despite compression therapy. Therefore, it may be necessary for clinicians to consider adjuvant therapies for hard-to-heal ulcers at an earlier stage.

Blood Flow Analysis of the Great Saphenous Vein in the Su-Pine Position in Clinical Manifestations of Varicose Veins of Different Severities: Application of Phase-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data

The progression of clinical manifestations of lower-limb varicose veins remains unclear. This study investigated changes in lower-limb venous blood flow using phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography. Data were collected on veins from 141 legs. We compared legs with and without varicose veins and related symptoms and examined varying levels of varicose vein symptom severity. Legs without varicose veins exhibited a lower absolute stroke volume (ASV, p < 0.01) and mean flux (MF, p = 0.03) for the great saphenous vein (GSV) compared with legs with symptomatic varicose veins. Legs with asymptomatic varicose veins exhibited lower MF for the GSV (p = 0.02) compared with legs with symptomatic varicose veins. Among legs with varicose veins, asymptomatic legs exhibited lower ASV (p = 0.03) and MF (p = 0.046) for the GSV compared with legs that exhibited skin changes or ulcers; however, no significant differences were observed between legs presenting with discomfort or edema and legs with skin changes or ulcers, and between legs presenting with discomfort or edema and asymptomatic legs. In conclusion, in the supine position, increased blood flow rate and blood flow volume in the GSV were associated with symptomatic varicose veins and increased symptom severity.

Evaluation of safety and efficacy of autologous topical platelet gel vs platelet rich plasma injection in the treatment of venous leg ulcers: A randomized case control study

Various management options were tried for Chronic venous leg ulcers (VLUs) with no satisfactory results. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is promising in enhancing chronic wound healing by releasing various growth factors. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of topical platelet gel (PG) vs PRP injection in treatment of venous leg ulcers. 20 patients were treated with topical PG (group I), 20 patients received PRP injection (group II), and 20 patients were treated with saline dressing and compression as controls (group III) weekly for 6 weeks. Ulcer improvement was evaluated by pressure ulcer scale for healing (PUSH). Histopathological evaluation and immunohistochemical staining using anti-CD34 were performed before and after treatment. There was significant improvement in PUSH score in group (I) and (II) compared to group (III; P value: .001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in improvement between group I and II (P value = .83). However, topical PG was more effective in diabetics and PRP was more effective in long standing fibrosed ulcers. Histopathology showed reduction of the inflammatory cells infiltrates and well-formed granulation tissue with no difference in immunostaining. So, both topical PG and PRP injection were effective, low cost, and safe procedures in enhancing healing of chronic VLUs.

Potential prognostic factors for delayed healing of common, non-traumatic skin ulcers: A scoping review

Healing of non-traumatic skin ulcers is often suboptimal. Prognostic tools that identify people at high risk of delayed healing within the context of routine ulcer assessments may improve this, but robust evidence on which factors to include is lacking. Therefore, we scoped the literature to identify which potentially prognostic factors may warrant future systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We conducted electronic searches in MEDLINE and Embase to identify studies in English published between 1997 and 2017 that tested the association between healing of the three most common non-traumatic skin ulcers encountered by health care professionals (venous leg, diabetic foot, and pressure ulcers) and patient characteristics, ulcer characteristics, and results from clinical investigations. We included 42 studies that investigated factors which may be associated with the healing of venous leg ulcers (n = 17), diabetic foot ulcers (n = 15), and pressure ulcers (n = 10). Across ulcer types, ulcer characteristics were most commonly reported as potential prognostic factors for healing (n = 37), including the size of the ulcer area (n = 29) and ulcer duration at first assessment (n = 16). A total of 35 studies investigated the prognostic value of patient characteristics (n = 35), including age (n = 31), gender (n = 30), diabetes (n = 22), smoking status (n = 15), and history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (n = 13). Of these studies, 23 reported results from clinical investigations as potential prognostic factors, with the majority regarding vessel quality. Age, gender, diabetes, smoking status, history of DVT, ulcer area, and ulcer duration at time of first assessment warrant a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify their prognostic value for delayed ulcer healing.

New Approach in Ulcer Prevention and Wound Healing Treatment using Doxycycline and Amoxicillin/LDH Nanocomposites

Doxycycline (DOX) and amoxicillin (AMOX) are important Broad-spectrum antibiotics used in treating multiple human and animal diseases. For the sake of exploring novel medical applications, both antibiotics were loaded into magnesium aluminium layer double hydroxide (Mg-Al)/LDH nanocomposite through the co-precipitation method. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, particle size analysis, FESEM and HRTEM. Acute toxicological studies were conducted using median lethal dose LD50, where a total number of 98 rats (200-150 gm) of both sexes were used. An experimental wound was aseptically incised on the anterior-dorsal side of each rat, while 98% of pure medical ethanol was used for ulcer induction. Acute toxicity, wound closure rate, healing percentages, ulcer index, protective rate and histopathological studies were investigated. Antibiotic Nanocomposites has significantly prevented ulcer formation and improved wound healing process to take shorter time than that of the typical processes, when compared with that of same drugs in microscale systems or commercial standard drugs. These results were confirmed by the histopathological findings. By converting it into the Nanoform, which is extremely important, especially with commonly used antibiotics, novel pharmacological properties were acquired from the antibiotics. The safe uses of DOX/LDH and AMOX/LDH Nanocomposites in this study were approved for biomedical applications.

Effects and associations of nutrition in patients with venous leg ulcers: A systematic review

AIMS

To identify the associations and effects of nutritional characteristics and interventions on ulcer outcomes in adult patients with venous leg ulcers.

BACKGROUND

Venous leg ulcers are the most prevalent type of lower limb ulcer; however, little evidence exists regarding the relationship between nutritional status and ulcer healing.

DESIGN

A systematic search of English language articles was conducted using the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

DATA SOURCES

A search of databases Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL and Scopus was performed for studies published between January 2004 - May 2017.

REVIEW METHODS

Quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Assessment tool and the relevant Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklists.

RESULTS

Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. All participants had Clinical Aetiology Anatomy Pathophysiology classification C5 (healed) or C6 (active) ulcers. Studies were conducted in a range of clinical settings with relatively small sample sizes. The majority of patients were overweight or obese. Increased body mass index was associated with delayed wound healing. Vitamin D, folic acid and flavonoids were associated with some beneficial effects on ulcer healing. Dietary intakes of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and zinc were low for some patients.

CONCLUSION

Current evidence suggests that venous leg ulcer patients are more likely to be overweight or obese. However, evidence for weight management improving wound healing is lacking. Micronutrients, including vitamin D and folic acid, may improve wound healing in at-risk patients.

Critical Evaluation of Delayed Healing of Venous Leg Ulcers: A Retrospective Analysis in Canadian Patients

BACKGROUND

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are common but challenging health problems. Better understanding of the risk factors involved in delayed healing of VLUs may therefore guide individualized treatment plans to improve patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to identify the risk factors associated with delayed healing of VLUs in patients seen at a tertiary academic wound care clinic.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 554 patients who presented to the Toronto Regional Wound Healing Clinic for VLUs in a 3-year period was performed. Patient and ulcer characteristics were recorded. Multivariate analyses were performed to compare patients with ulcer resolution and those whose ulcers did not resolve after 12-month follow-up.

RESULTS

The average age of the patients was 67.3 ± 0.7 years, with 56 % being female. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (54 %), dyslipidemia (33 %), a history of smoking (30 %), and diabetes (26 %). Ulcer resolution was associated with a smaller ulcer size (odds ratio [OR] 0.984 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.973, 0.996]), shorter ulcer duration (OR 0.704 [95 % CI 0.574, 0.865]), and dyslipidemia (OR 1.848 [95 % CI 1.052, 3.246]).

CONCLUSION

Pro-healing factors associated with VLUs were a smaller ulcer size and a shorter ulcer duration. Dyslipidemia was also associated with improved healing, potentially owing to the use of statins. Patients presenting with poorer-prognosis VLUs should receive more aggressive treatment with earlier referral to vascular surgery.

Risk factors for delayed healing in venous leg ulcers: a review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Chronic leg ulcers, remaining unhealed after 4-6 weeks, affect 1-3% of the population, with treatment costly and health service resource intensive. Venous disease contributes to approximately 70% of all chronic leg ulcers and these ulcers are often associated with pain, reduced mobility and a decreased quality of life. Despite evidence-based care, 30% of these ulcers are unlikely to heal within a 24-week period and therefore the recognition and identification of risk factors for delayed healing of venous leg ulcers would be beneficial.

AIM

To review the available evidence on risk factors for delayed healing of venous leg ulcers.

METHODS

A review of the literature in regard to risk factors for delayed healing in venous leg ulcers was conducted from January 2000 to December 2013. Evidence was sourced through searches of relevant databases and websites for resources addressing risk factors for delayed healing in venous leg ulcers specifically.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven studies, of mostly low-level evidence (Level III and IV), identified risk factors associated with delayed healing. Risk factors that were consistently identified included: larger ulcer area, longer ulcer duration, a previous history of ulceration, venous abnormalities and lack of high compression. Additional potential predictors with inconsistent or varying evidence to support their influence on delayed healing of venous leg ulcers included: decreased mobility and/or ankle range of movement, poor nutrition and increased age.

DISCUSSION

Findings from this review indicate that a number of physiological risk factors are associated with delayed healing in venous leg ulcers and that social and/or psychological risk factors should also be considered and examined further.

CONCLUSION

The findings from this review can assist health professionals to identify prognostic indicators or risk factors significantly associated with delayed healing in venous leg ulcers. This will facilitate realistic outcome planning and inform implementation of appropriate early strategies to promote healing.

Terapias compressivas no tratamento de úlcera venosa: estudo bibliométrico

Introdução: Úlceras de origem venosas são lesões cutâneas que geralmente acometem o terço inferior das pernas. O tratamento dessas feridas é dinâmico e depende da evolução das fases da reparação tecidual. Esse tratamento inclui métodos clínicos e cirúrgicos, sendo a terapia compressiva o método não cirúrgico mais frequentemente utilizado. Dentre as terapias compressivas, destacam-se as bandagens inelásticas e elásticas, meias elásticas e pressão pneumática intermitente. Objetivo: O presente estudo pretendeu identificar o perfil da produção científica nacional e internacional que descrevesse terapia compressiva e úlcera venosa classificando-o de acordo com: cronologia de publicação, procedência, periódicos em que estão publicadas, avaliação do “Qualis” — Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes), distribuição da abordagem metodológica, análise do conteúdo das publicações e comparar, quando possível, os dados apresentados nessa revisão. Método: Estudo bibliométrico realizado nas bases de dados Medline, Lilacs e CINAHL no qual se utilizaram os descritores “Varicose Ulcer/therapy”, “Compression Bandages”, “Wound Healing” e o operador booleano AND entre os anos de 2009 a 2013. Resultados: Foram selecionados 47 artigos; a maioria publicada em 2012 (n = 12; 25,53%), nos Estados Unidos (n=14; 29,78%) e Reino Unido (n=14; 29,78%), em revistas de especialidade vascular (n=19; 40,42%), com avaliações A2 (n=13; 27,65%) e B1 (n=13; 27,65%). A maior parte da metodologia utilizada nos estudos selecionados era tipo “estudos clínicos” (n= 30; 63,82%). Dentre os estudos clínicos e metanálises, apenas 30% (n= 14) apresentavam como objetivo principal avaliação da terapia compressiva e pretenderam estudar comparativamente eficácia de bandagens elásticas, inelásticas, meias elásticas, pressão pneumática intermitente e ausência de terapia compressiva no tratamento de úlceras venosas. Conclusão: Há preocupação da comunidade científica com a busca do tratamento eficaz para as úlceras venosas, porém a distribuição mundial de publicações é desigual. Evidenciou-se que a terapia compressiva não é o objeto principal na maioria dos trabalhos selecionados, o que leva ao interesse em terapias adjuvantes ou complementares a essa. Ficou evidente a necessidade da terapia compressiva, porém não há consenso sobre qual pressão deva ser utilizada para se obter melhores resultados na cicatrização; portanto, são necessários mais estudos que avaliem as interferências das diversas pressões sobre o processo de reparo tecidual. Também há carência de estudos que comprovem a ação da pressão pneumática intermitente com associações ou não de bandagens elásticas.

Ulcer healing time and antibiotic treatment before and after the introduction of the Registry of Ulcer Treatment: an improvement project in a national quality registry in Sweden

OBJECTIVES

To investigate changes in ulcer healing time and antibiotic treatment in Sweden following the introduction of the Registry of Ulcer Treatment (RUT), a national quality registry, in 2009.

DESIGN

A statistical analysis of RUT data concerning the healing time and antibiotic treatment for patients with hard-to-heal ulcers in Sweden between 2009 and 2012.

SETTING

RUT is a national web-based quality registry used to capture areas of improvement in ulcer care and to structure wound management by registering patients with hard-to-heal leg, foot and pressure ulcers. Registration includes variables such as gender, age, diagnosis, healing time, antibiotic treatment, and ulcer duration and size.

POPULATION

Every patient with a hard-to-heal ulcer registered with RUT between 2009 and 2012 (n=1417) was included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Statistical analyses were performed using Stata V.12.1. Healing time was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier analysis and adjustment was made for ulcer size. A log-rank test was used for equality of survivor functions.

RESULTS

According to the adjusted registry in December 2012, patients' median age was 80 years (mean 77.5 years, range 11-103 years). The median healing time for all ulcers, adjusted for ulcer size, was 146 days (21 weeks) in 2009 and 63 days (9 weeks) in 2012 (p=0.001). Considering all years between 2009 and 2012, antibiotic treatment for patients with hard-to-heal ulcers was reduced from 71% before registration to 29% after registration of ulcer healing (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Healing time and antibiotic treatment decreased significantly during 3 years after launch of RUT.

Wireless electrical stimulation: an innovative powerful tool for the treatment of a complicated chronic ulcer

High-voltage electrical stimulation has been long proposed as a method of accelerating the wound healing process. Its beneficial effect has been successfully evaluated in the treatment of a number of chronic ulcers and burns. We present here the implementation of a new wireless electrical stimulation technique for the treatment of a complicated chronic ulcer of the lower limb. The device is transferring charges to the wound, without any contact with it, creating a microcurrent that is able to generate the current of injury. The results suggest that this easy-to-use method is an effective therapeutic option for chronic ulcers.

Compression for venous leg ulcers

BACKGROUND

Up to one percent of people in industrialised countries will suffer from a leg ulcer at some time. The majority of these leg ulcers are due to problems in the veins, resulting in an accumulation of blood in the legs. Leg ulcers arising from venous problems are called venous (or varicose or stasis) ulcers. The main treatment is the application of a firm compression garment (bandage or stocking) in order to aid venous return. There is a large number of compression garments available and it was unclear whether they are effective in treating venous ulcers and, if so, which method of compression is the most effective.

OBJECTIVES

To undertake a systematic review of all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects on venous ulcer healing of compression bandages and stockings.Specific questions addressed by the review are:1. Does the application of compression bandages or stockings aid venous ulcer healing? 2. Which compression bandage or stocking system is the most effective?

SEARCH METHODS

For this second update we searched: the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (31 May 2012); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 5, 2012); Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to May Week 4 2012); Ovid MEDLINE (In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations 30 May 2012); Ovid EMBASE (1980 to 2012 Week 21); and EBSCO CINAHL (1982 to 30 May 2012). No date or language restrictions were applied.

SELECTION CRITERIA

RCTs recruiting people with venous leg ulceration that evaluated any type of compression bandage system or compression stockings were eligible for inclusion. Eligible comparators included no compression (e.g. primary dressing alone, non-compressive bandage) or an alternative type of compression. RCTs had to report an objective measure of ulcer healing in order to be included (primary outcome for the review). SECONDARY OUTCOMES of the review included ulcer recurrence, costs, quality of life, pain, adverse events and withdrawals. There was no restriction on date, language or publication status of RCTs.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Details of eligible studies were extracted and summarised using a data extraction table. Data extraction was performed by one review author and verified independently by a second review author.

MAIN RESULTS

Forty-eight RCTs reporting 59 comparisons were included (4321 participants in total). Most RCTs were small, and most were at unclear or high risk of bias. Duration of follow-up varied across RCTs. Risk ratio (RR) and other estimates are shown below where RCTs were pooled; otherwise findings refer to a single RCT.There was evidence from eight RCTs (unpooled) that healing outcomes (including time to healing) are better when patients receive compression compared with no compression.Single-component compression bandage systems are less effective than multi-component compression for complete healing at six months (one large RCT).A two-component system containing an elastic bandage healed more ulcers at one year than one without an elastic component (one small RCT).Three-component systems containing an elastic component healed more ulcers than those without elastic at three to four months (two RCTs pooled), RR 1.83 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.67), but another RCT showed no difference between groups at six months.An individual patient data meta-analysis of five RCTs suggested significantly faster healing with the four-layer bandage (4LB) than the short stretch bandage (SSB): median days to healing estimated at 90 and 99 respectively; hazard ratio 1.31 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.58).High-compression stockings are associated with better healing outcomes than SSB at two to four months: RR 1.62 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.10), estimate from four pooled RCTs.One RCT suggested better healing outcomes at 16 months with the addition of a tubular device plus single elastic bandage to a base system of gauze and crepe bandages when compared with two added elastic bandages. Another RCT had three arms; when one or two elastic bandages were added to a base three-component system that included an outer tubular layer, healing outcomes were better at six months for the two groups receiving elastic bandages.There is currently no evidence of a statistically significant difference for the following comparisons:⋅alternative single-component compression bandages (two RCTs, unpooled);⋅two-component bandages compared with the 4LB at three months (three RCTs pooled);⋅alternative versions of the 4LB for complete healing at times up to and including six months (three RCTs, unpooled);⋅4LB compared with paste bandage for complete healing at three months (two RCTs, pooled), six months or one year (one RCT for each time point);⋅adjustable compression boots compared with paste bandages for the outcome of change in ulcer area at three months (one small RCT);⋅adjustable compression boots compared with the 4LB with respect to complete healing at three months (one small RCT);⋅single-layer compression stocking compared with paste bandages for outcome of complete healing at four months (one small RCT) and 18 months (another small RCT);⋅low compression stocking compared with SSB for complete healing at three and six months (one small RCT);⋅compression stockings compared with a two-component bandage system and the 4LB for the outcome of complete healing at three months (one small, three-armed RCT); and,⋅tubular compression compared with SSB (one small RCT) for complete healing at three months.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

4LB was more cost-effective than SSB. It was not possible to draw firm conclusions regarding other secondary outcomes including recurrence, adverse events and health-related quality of life.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Compression increases ulcer healing rates compared with no compression. Multi-component systems are more effective than single-component systems. Multi-component systems containing an elastic bandage appear to be more effective than those composed mainly of inelastic constituents. Two-component bandage systems appear to perform as well as the 4LB. Patients receiving the 4LB heal faster than those allocated the SSB. More patients heal on high-compression stocking systems than with the SSB. Further data are required before the difference between high-compression stockings and the 4LB can be established.

A pessoa com úlcera de perna, intervenção estruturada dos cuidados de enfermagem: revisão sistemática da literatura

Identificar as intervenções de enfermagem à pessoa com úlcera de perna de origem venosa, arterial ou mista. Pesquisa efetuada no motor de busca EBSCO: CINAHL, MEDLINE, com base em artigos em texto integral, publicados entre 2000 e 2010, com os seguintes descritores: Leg* Ulcer* AND Nurs* AND Intervention*, filtrados mediante questão de partida em formato PICO. Simultaneamente, realizada pesquisa na National Guideline Clearinghouse, com a mesma orientação. Uma intervenção centrada na pessoa aumentou os resultados em saúde, variando os cuidados diretos à ferida consoante a etiologia. Como intervenções associadas à cicatrização da úlcera de perna de qualquer etiologia, destacou-se: relação terapêutica enfermeiro/cliente, individualização de cuidados e monitoramento da dor.