Abordagem de pacientes com úlcera da perna de etiologia venosa

Effectiveness of the Use of the Human Recombinant Epidermal Growth Factor in the Subsidized Regime vs The Contributive Regime in Patients with Venous Ulcers in Bogotá

Introduction

Vascular ulcers constitute a serious global public health problem, responsible for causing a significant social and economic impact due to their recurrent, disabling nature and the need for prolonged therapies to cure them.

Objective

To evaluate the use and efficacy of the rhEGF in the epithelialization of patients with a diagnosis of CEAP stage 6 venous insufficiency, in the two regimes of the health system in Colombia, the contributive (equivalent to a health system where citizens with payment capacity contribute a percentage of their salary) and the subsidized (equivalent to a health system where the state covers the vulnerable population and low socioeconomic level) versus the other treatments used.

Methodology

Observational, descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study, in which 105 medical records with 139 ulcers were reviewed, in 2 centers, one belonging to the subsidized system and the other to the contributive system in Colombia.

Results

The association with the epithelialization variable of the different treatment groups for ulcers according to the application of the mixed effect model test, for both regimes was for the Biologicals (EC 34.401/p = 0.000), Bioactive Agents (Hydrogels) (EC 24.735/p = 0.005) groups; for the rest of the treatment groups, the results were neither associated nor statistically significant.

Conclusion

Intra- and perilesional therapy with rhEGF expands the therapeutic spectrum in patients with venous ulcers, regardless of the type of health system in which it will be applied, shortening the healing time and reaching a possible therapeutic goal, which according to this study there is an association with epithelialization regardless of the regime applied.

Lower Extremity Ulcers

Lower extremity ulcerations contribute to significant morbidity and economic burden globally. Chronic wounds, or those that do not progress through healing in a timely manner, are estimated to affect 6.5 million people in the United States alone causing, significant morbidity and economic burden of at least an estimated $25 billion annually. Owing to the aging population and increasing rates of obesity and diabetes mellitus globally, chronic lower extremity ulcers are predicted to increase. Here, we explore the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of the most (and least) commonly seen lower extremity ulcers.

Evaluation of pentoxifylline and ferrous sulfate for treatment of lower limb venous ulcers

Background

Venous ulcers (VU) are the most advanced stage of chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower limbs. They are frequently associated with episodes of hemorrhage that can provoke chronic anemia (CA), delaying healing. There are no studies in the literature analyzing the prevalence of CA among patients with VU of the lower limbs and few studies have analyzed use of pentoxifylline to treat VU of the lower limbs.

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence of CA in patients with lower limb VU and responses to treatment with ferrous sulfate (SF) compared with a combination of SF plus pentoxifylline as adjuvant treatment for VU of the lower limbs.

Methods

A total of 67 patients with lower limb VU were recruited from a Lymphedema and Angiodysplasia Clinic at the Hospital das Clínicas, Recife, PE, Brazil. After initial clinical and laboratory assessments, patients diagnosed with CA were randomized into one of two groups: a control group, given SF (900 mg/day oral route), or a study group, treated with SF (900 mg/day oral route) and pentoxifylline (1,200 mg/day). All were reassessed after 90 days.

Results

Twenty-seven patients (40%) had CA. After treatment, increases were observed in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, iron kinetics had improved, and both depth and area of VU had reduced in both groups, without statistically significant differences.

Conclusions

A high prevalence of anemia was detected in the study population. The combination of SF and pentoxifylline was not more effective than SF alone for adjuvant treatment of VU of the lower limbs.

Unna boot therapy impact on wellbeing, hope and spirituality in venous leg ulcer patients: a prospective clinical trial

Objective:

To assess the impact of Unna boot therapy on subjective wellbeing, hope and spirituality in patients with venous leg ulcers (VLU).

Method:

This was a prospective, descriptive, analytical, multicentre clinical trial conducted in a nursing care and education centre, an outpatient wound care clinic and a primary health care unit in Brazil. Adult patients with VLUs took part in the study. Patients with diabetic foot ulcers and mixed ulcers were excluded. A questionnaire assessing sociodemographic and religious characteristics of patients, the Subjective Wellbeing Scale, the Spirituality Self-Rating Scale (SSRS), and the Herth Hope Index (HHI) were administered to all patients.

Results:

A total of 60 patients (63.3% female; 86.7% aged ≥60 years) participated. Before Unna boot therapy, 65%, 66.7% and 65% of patients reported a score of one on positive affect, negative affect and life satisfaction, respectively, indicating poor subjective wellbeing. After one month of compression therapy, 66.7%, 50.0%, and 80.0% of patients reported a score of three for each element positive affect, negative affect and life satisfaction, respectively, showing a significant improvement in subjective wellbeing (p=0.029). A significant increase in total SSRS scores (p=0.017) was found between baseline (mean: 9.77) and one month of treatment (mean: 25.47), indicating a significant increase in a sense of spirituality. There was also a significant increase in total HHI values (p=0.009) between baseline (mean: 15.68) and one month of compression therapy (mean: 39.38), suggesting a significant increase in hope among patients.

Conclusion:

Patients with VLUs treated with Unna boot therapy in this study showed significant improvement in subjective wellbeing, spirituality and hope for cure.

Noninvasive measures of venous ulcer recurrence prevention: integrative review

Objective: This study aimed to identify, in the literature, noninvasive measures for prevention of venous ulcer recurrence (VUs). Methods: An integrative review was carried out in the databases of the Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Public Medline (PubMed), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Excerpta Medica Database (Embase) in the period from 2015 to 2017. the search was performed using the controlled descriptors «varicose ulcer» and «recurrence» and the Boolean operator AND between them in all databases described, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. After the searches, two reviewers carried out the pre-selection by titles and summary of the articles followed by the full reading of the pre-selected studies. Results: 210 studies were identified, of which 188 were excluded because they did not attend to the guiding question. Two reviewers read in full the 22 pre-selected articles and included in this review nine that were part of the discussion of this paper. Conclusion: Studies in this review suggest that adherence and correct use of compressive therapy with socks associated with education and self-care measures are effective in preventing recurrence of VU. The association of acetylsalicylic acid with standard measures of treatment still lacks conclusive results and new studies to prove efficacy are suggested.

Medidas não invasivas de prevenção da recidiva de úlcera venosa: revisão integrativa

Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar, na literatura, as medidas não invasivas de prevenção da recidiva de úlceras venosas (UVs). Método: Realizou-se revisão integrativa nas bases de dados da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Public Medline (PubMed), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) e Excerpta Medica dataBASE (Embase) no período de 2015 a 2017. A busca bibliográfica foi realizada utilizando-se os descritores controlados “varicose ulcer” e “recurrence” e o operador booleano AND entre eles em todas as bases de dados descritas, em português, inglês e espanhol. Após as buscas, dois revisores realizaram a pré-seleção por títulos e resumo dos artigos seguida da leitura na íntegra dos estudos pré-selecionados. Resultado: Identificaram-se 210 estudos, sendo que 188 foram excluídos por não atenderem à questão norteadora. Dois revisores leram na íntegra os 22 artigos pré-selecionados e incluíram nesta revisão nove que fizeram parte da discussão deste trabalho. Conclusão: Os estudos desta revisão sugerem que a adesão e o uso correto da terapia compressiva com meias associados a medidas de educação e autocuidado são efetivos para prevenção de recidiva da UV. A associação de ácido acetilsalicílico com as medidas padrão de tratamento ainda carece de resultados conclusivos e sugerem-se novos estudos para comprovação da eficácia.

High-Resolution Spectral Analysis Accurately Identifies the Bacterial Signature in Infected Chronic Foot Ulcers in People With Diabetes

Diabetic foot infections are a major cause of hospitalization, and delayed treatment can lead to numerous complications. The aim of this research was to investigate high-resolution spectroscopy of the wound center and periwound area for real-time estimation of multispectral signature of bacteria at the base of diabetic foot ulcers. We investigated the spectrum of the reflected visual light from diabetic foot ulcers and developed a method that identifies the presence of bacteria in the wound infections. We undertook a prospective pilot study on 18 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and chronic diabetic foot ulcers. The spectral coefficients were directly compared with the results from the wound swab. The results of the multispectral analysis demonstrated 100% sensitivity, with 100% negative predictive values of identifying the presence of the bacteria, which was the cause of the infection in the wound. The results of our study suggest that the changes in the multispectral properties of the wound can be used to identify the presence of bacteria in the infected area using a noninvasive device without any contact with the wound. This technique holds great promise for real-time objective evaluation of the wound infection status beyond the standard visual assessment of diabetic foot ulcers.

Pilot study of homologous platelet gel in venous ulcers

Background

Venous ulcers represent 70% of the lower limb ulcers. They are difficult to heal, requiring a correct diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Many products have been developed to healing, such as homologous platelet gel obtained from the platelet concentrate exceeding from blood transfusion.

Objective

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of homologous platelet gel in venous ulcers compared with hydrocolloid dressing.

Method

A pilot randomized clinical trial in patients with venous ulcers. Randomized groups (homologous platelet gel and hydrocolloid groups) were followed for 90 days and were assessed through the evolution of ulcerated area, qualitative analysis of vascularization and adverse events. Both groups used elastic compression.

Results

We included 16 participants, with a total of 21 venous ulcers. Both treatments promoted a reduction of the areas of the ulcers in 90 days (mean 69%), there was significant difference between the groups concerning the gradual reduction of the ulcers areas, favorably to the hydrocolloid (70% vs 64%; p <0.01). There were some mild adverse events in both groups.

Study limitations

Single-center study with a small number of patients, preventing more accurate assessment of the effects of platelet gel.

Conclusion

The homologous platelet gel associated with the elastic compression can be an alternative to the venous ulcer treatment and is safe due to the occurrence of a few mild local adverse events and no serious adverse events. Clinical trials with larger numbers of patients must be performed to maintain the indication of this treatment for venous ulcer.

The use of medicinal plants in venous ulcers: a systematic review with meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to systematically review the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of varicose ulcers. The databases used in the search were: Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, Cinhal, Lilacs and Web of Science. The selection process was divided into two phases: the reading of titles and abstracts and the full reading of selected articles. The item description was compared with the checklist of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials. The initial search produced 3505 articles and seven were selected for inclusion in the systematic review. Of the included studies, 7 (100%) evaluated the reduction of the ulcer area, 4 (57·14%) evaluated reepithelisation, 2 (28·57%) evaluated bacterial flora and 1 (14·28%) evaluated the oxygen pressure and percutaneous carbon dioxide. The level of evidence rating indicated that five studies (71·42%) were rated at level 2 and two (28·57%) were rated at level 3. The quality assessment was performed using the Jadad scale, which is prevalent in the literature. The quality score of the Jadad questionnaire ranges from 0 to 5; here, the studies analysed had an average of 2·5. A meta-analysis was performed on two studies that analysed the effects of Mimosa tenuiflora hydrogel in the treatment of venous ulcer and included 42 patients with a mean age of 60·5 years and a mean duration of treatment of 10·5 weeks. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² ; we obtained a high value of 84%. We concluded that, despite the efficacy of the incorporation of Ageratina pichinchensis into the gel, the hydrogel that incorporated M. tenuiflora appeared to be a promising candidate for the management of venous ulcers.

Tissue characterization by photographic imaging during treatment of chronic venous ulcer: technical note

Chronic venous ulcers are a medical challenge with a socioeconomic impact. Tissue characterization was quantified by photographic imaging (p-CATIM) of a leg wound treated with Unna boot for 45 days. Three photographs, taken pre-treatment, post Unna boot and post healing were analyzed. Brightness on a 0-255 gray image was re-scaled with black as 0 and adjacent skin as 200. Gray Scale Median (GSM) and the percentages of pixels in each of 14 brightness intervals were calculated. Open ulcer GSM increased from 110 to 159 post Unna boot treatment, reaching 203 post healing. Predominant brightness intervals for the ulcer were 41-153 pre-treatment, 83% of pixels; 133-196 post Unna boot, 80%; and 175-255 post healing, 97%. The GSM of the subcutaneous wound around the ulcer increased from 117 to 137 post healing; the proportion of pixels in the 91-174 interval increased from 67% to 88% (p<0.001). CATIM quantified photographic changes during venous ulcer healing with comparison to the adjacent skin.

Impact of compression therapy using Unna's boot on the self-esteem of patients with venous leg ulcers

OBJECTIVE

To assess self-esteem in patients with venous leg ulcers treated with Unna's boot. •

METHOD

A descriptive, analytic, clinical study was conducted from June 2010 to May 2011 in an outpatient wound care clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. Patients of both sexes, aged ≥18 years, who had had a venous leg ulcer for more than one year and a Doppler ankle brachial index ranging from 0.8-1.0 were consecutively selected for inclusion. Patients were treated with wound dressings and Unna's boot. Self-esteem was assessed using the Brazilian version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) at inclusion (baseline) and after 4, 8, and 12 months of compression therapy using Unna's boot. The scale is reverse-scored; thus lower scores indicate higher levels of self-esteem. •

RESULTS

The patients showed a slight but significant improvement in self-esteem after 4 months of treatment (mean RSE score=17.12) compared with baseline (mean RSE score=24.90). However, a marked and significant improvement in self-esteem was observed after 8 months (mean RSE score=7.40) and 12 months (mean RSE score=2.10) of compression therapy using Unna's boot. •

CONCLUSION

Patients with venous leg ulcers treated with Unna's boot for 12 months showed a significant improvement in self-esteem •

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

All authors declare that no competing financial interests exist. There was no external funding for this study.

Translation, cultural adaptation to Brazil and validation of the venous leg ulcer quality of life questionnaire (VLU-QoL-Br)

Objective: translating the Venous leg ulcer quality of life questionnaire (VLU-QoL), and culturally adapting it to Brazilian Portuguese and validate it with patients at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Botucatu Medical School - Unesp. Methods: the questionnaire was translated by a professional translator and two dermatologists specialized in the area of venous ulcers (VU), reformulated in a meeting of the three translators. The construct (VLU-QoL-Br) was submitted to pre-interviews with ten VU patients for adaptation of the language. Subsequently, it was applied to patients at the HC-Unesp, and for test-retest reliability for verification of its reproducibility. Results: 82 patients were evaluated, with 56 (68%) women. The age average was 67.3 years. The questionnaire was translated, adapted and applied to the patients. The construct presented high internal consistency (alpha = 0.94) and adequate item-total correlation. When the 32 retests were evaluated, an intra-class correlation was noted for concordance of 0.78 (p<0.01), indicating good reproducibility of the construct. The confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the dimensions of the original questionnaire: activities, psychologies, and symptoms. VLU-QoL-Br scores were associated, independently, to the total area of the ulcers and a lower education level of the subjects (p<0.01). Conclusion: the translation, adaptation and validation of the VLU-QoL-Br questionnaire were concluded, demonstrating good psychometric performance, and enabling its clinical use in Brazil. It is important to evaluate its performance in other regions and different samples of individuals.

Factors that influence healing of chronic venous leg ulcers: a retrospective cohort

BACKGROUND

Venous ulcers have a significant impact on patient quality of life, and constitute a worldwide public health problem. Treatment is complex, with high failure rates.

OBJECTIVES

To identify clinical and therapeutic factors that influence healing of venous ulcers.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of patients with venous ulcers. Ulcer area was measured at the first visit (T0) and after 6 months (T6) and 1 year (T12). A reduction in ulcer area of 50% or more at T6 and T12 was the outcome of interest, weighted by clinical, demographic and treatment aspects.

RESULTS

Ninety-four patients were included (137 ulcers). A reduction in ulcer area of 50% or more was seen in 40.1% of patients (95%CI 31.9 to 48.4%) at T6 and 49.6% (95%CI 41.2 to 58.1%) at T12. Complete healing occurred in 16.8% (95%CI 10.5 to 23.1%) at T6 and 27% (95%CI 19.5 to 39.5%) at T12. The lowest ulcer area reductions at T6 were associated with longstanding ulcer (RR=0.95; 95%CI 0.91 to 0.98), poor adherence to compression therapy (RR=4.04; 95%CI 1.31 to 12.41), and infection episodes (RR=0.42; 95%CI 0.23 to 0.76). At T12, lower reductions were associated with longstanding ulcer (RR=0.95; 95%CI 0.92 to 0.98), longer topical antibiotic use (RR=0.93; 95%CI 0.87 to 0.99), and systemic antibiotic use (RR=0.63; 95%CI 0.40 to 0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Longstanding ulcer, infection, poor adherence to compression therapy, and longer topical and systemic antibiotic use were independently correlated with worse healing rates.

Impact of skin grafting of venous leg ulcers on functional status and pain

BACKGROUND

Disability and pain were assessed in patients with venous leg ulcers treated with split-thickness skin grafts to evaluate to what extent skin grafting improves functional status in this population.

METHODS

A prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter case-control study was conducted from July 2008 to December 2010 in two hospitals in Brazil. One hundred patients with venous leg ulcers were divided into two treatment groups of 50 patients each: the control group (conservative treatment) and the surgery group (skin grafting). Patients were assessed at baseline (day 0) and on days 30, 90, and 180. Disability was measured with the Disability Index of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI). The visual analog scale (VAS) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) were used to assess pain.

RESULTS

Surgery group patients reported significantly lower (p = 0.0001) overall HAQ-DI scores (lower disability levels) 180 days postoperatively (HAQ-DI = 0.18) compared with baseline (HAQ-DI = 2.65); mean overall HAQ-DI scores for control patients was 1.70 on day 180, with a significant difference between groups (p = 0.0001). The surgery group showed significant improvement on all HAQ-DI categories and reported significantly lower pain intensity (VAS pain scores) on days 30, 90, and 180 compared with controls (p = 0.0001). The MPQ was used to assess the sensory, affective, evaluative, and miscellaneous dimensions of pain in the two groups; there were significant differences between groups on days 30, 90, and 180 (p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with venous leg ulcers treated with split-thickness skin grafts showed improvement in functional status compared with controls.

Influência da assistência e características clínica na qualidade de vida de portadores de úlcera venosa

OBJETIVO: Verificar a influência da assistência e das características clínicas na qualidade de vida de pacientes com úlcera venosa. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com amostragem por conveniência que incluiu 100 portadores de úlcera venosa. Utilizou-se um formulário estruturado contendo variáveis sociodemográficas e de saúde, características da assistência e da úlcera venosa e um instrumento de qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. RESULTADOS: A média dos domínios do SF-36 foi baixa. Observou-se associação entre as características da assistência e os domínios capacidade funcional e dor. As características clínicas da lesão mostraram associação com os domínios: capacidade funcional, dor, estado geral de saúde, vitalidade e aspectos sociais. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes com úlcera venosa apresentam prejuízos em todos os domínios da qualidade de vida. As características da assistência e da lesão influenciaram a qualidade de vida desse grupo de pacientes, sugerindo que uma assistência integral e de qualidade pode colaborar na melhoria da qualidade de vida desses pacientes.

The pernicious cycle of VLUs in Brazil: epidemiology, pathogeny and auxiliary healing methods

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) represent the most advanced stage of chronic venous insufficiency. Despite the large body of knowledge available regarding the risk factors and aetiopathogeny of the condition, patients referred to public health care systems in developing countries often do not receive adequate diagnosis or early treatment, leading to clinical evolution and disease recurrence. This review collates updated information about the epidemiology, risk factors, aetiopathogeny, diagnosis, ulcer healing methods and determinant factors of the pernicious cycle of VLUs in developing countries, with a focus on the Brazilian setting.

Evaluating the effectiveness of the customized Unna boot when treating patients with venous ulcers

BACKGROUND

Lower limb ulcers are a serious medical and socioeconomic problem throughout the world. One type of chronic wound of the lower extremities is the venous ulcer. Therapeutic methods for treating venous ulcer include the use of the Unna boot.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of the customized Unna boot in the treatment of venous ulcers and to monitor the subsequent development and healing of the lesions.

METHODS

Prospective exploratory and quantitative longitudinal study, conducted at the "Outpatients Department (Wound Care) of the Grupo da Fraternidade Espírita Irmão Alexandre" in the city of Pouso Alegre (MG), Brazil, in 2008. The sample consisted of 32 patients with venous ulcers who underwent treatment with the Unna boot and 11 patients (control group), who used a simple bandage application. The patients'lesions were monitored over a three month period.

RESULTS

The average age of the predominently female (65.1%) patients was 61.88. From observing the differences in healing times at the three evaluation stages, it was clear that after the initial evaluation the wound area decreased in Groups 1 and 2 (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The use of the customized Unna boot contributes to quicker healing. However, over a period of three months the simple bandage applications were seen to be just as effective as the Unna boot method.

Tradução e adaptação cultural do Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire - Brasil

CONTEXTO: A tradução e a adaptação cultural são etapas que permitirão que um instrumento criado em determinado idioma e cultura possa ser usado em outro contexto cultural. O Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire (CCVUQ) é um questionário de qualidade de vida em portadores de úlceras venosas que para ser utilizado no Brasil é necessária a execução do processo de adaptação transcultural. OBJETIVO: Traduzir e adaptar culturalmente para a população brasileira o CCVUQ. MÉTODOS: O processo consistiu em duas traduções e duas retrotraduções realizadas por tradutores independentes, da avaliação das versões, seguida da elaboração de versão consensual e de pré-teste comentado. RESULTADOS: No processo de tradução, algumas palavras foram modificadas no seu aspecto literal. A análise posterior dos resultados do pré-teste apontou necessidades de modificações de alguns termos para melhor compreensão do respondente. O tempo médio de aplicação do questionário foi de 5 minutos e 23 segundos. CONCLUSÃO: A versão na língua portuguesa do Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire foi traduzida e adaptada para uso na população brasileira.

Perfil clínico e sociodemográfico dos portadores de doença venosa crônica atendidos em centros de saúde de Maceió (AL)

CONTEXTO: A doença venosa crônica (DVC) consiste em alteração do sistema venoso causando uma incompetência valvar associada à obstrução de fluxo ou não. Acomete 10 a 20% da população mundial, tendo maior prevalência no sexo feminino. Apresenta como sintomas mais comuns dor e edema e na forma avançada, a úlcera venosa. Traz limitações funcionais e isolamento social, afetando a qualidade de vida. OBJETIVO: Traçar o perfil dos portadores de DVC, pelo levantamento de dados clínicos e sociodemográficos que indiquem características que possam contribuir para possível mudança de hábito na vida de pacientes que, por motivos de trabalho, falta de conhecimento e/ou instruções, tiveram sua rotina afetada pela doença, com consequente diminuição da sua qualidade de vida. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo, observacional do tipo transversal, sendo avaliados portadores de DVC atendidos em centros de saúde de Maceió (AL), aplicando um formulário para coleta de dados, como classificação CEAP, Critério de Classificação Econômica Brasil e Questionário SF-36. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi composta por 66 pacientes com DVC; 83% eram do sexo feminino e 17%, do masculino, a faixa etária predominante foi entre 50 a 60 anos; eram sedentários, assumindo ortostatismo prolongado, baixo nível de escolaridade e classe econômica, doença clínica grave (C6 sintomático) e qualidade de vida variável. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados demonstraram predomínio da doença no sexo feminino, entre 50 a 60 anos de idade, com fatores desencadeadores e/ou agravantes para desenvolvimento da DVC como falta de atividade física, baixo nível de escolaridade e baixa renda econômica, afetando a qualidade de vida.

Prevalência de deficiência de vitamina D em pacientes com úlceras de perna de etiologia venosa

OBJETIVO: Estudar se a prevalência da deficiência de vitamina D em indivíduos com úlcera de perna de causa venosa é maior do que em população controle. MÉTODOS: Estudaram-se os níveis séricos de 25-OH-vitamina D por quimioluminescência em 27 portadores de úlcera venosa crônica e 58 controles do Hospital Universitário Evangélico de Curitiba. RESULTADOS: Os níveis de 25-OH-vitamina D3 eram inferiores a 8 ng/dl em 11,1% dos pacientes com úlcera e 3,4% dos controles; entre 8 e 20 ng/dl em 46,1% dos pacientes com úlcera e 25,8% dos controles; entre 21 e 30 ng/dl em 22.2% dos pacientes com úlcera e 27,5% dos controles e acima de 30 ng/dl em 43,1% dos controles e 18,5% dos pacientes com úlcera (p=0,04). CONCLUSÃO: Existe aumento de prevalência de deficiência de vitamina D em pacientes com úlceras venosas crônicas de pernas.

O cotidiano do indivíduo com ferida crônica e sua saúde mental

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar como está a saúde mental das pessoas acometidas por ferida crônica. Pesquisa descritiva de abordagem qualitativa, realizada no período de agosto de 2008 a março de 2009, a qual utilizou a entrevista como técnica para a coleta de dados. Participaram seis portadores de feridas crônicas em acompanhamento pelo Ambulatório de Especialidades de um Hospital Público. Para análise dos dados utilizou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados demonstram que há perda da autoestima, dor, déficit na qualidade do sono, inaptidão para o trabalho, vergonha e constrangimento para se relacionar socialmente, levando à propensão de problemas de ordem emocional. Concluímos que o portador de feridas crônicas apresenta propensão a desenvolver problemas que colocam em risco sua saúde mental.

[Nursing in stomatherapy: clinical care for the patient with varicose ulcer]

Review study that aimed at analyzing the nursing scientific production about varicose ulcer in the period from 2002 to 2007. For the data collection it was used Medline and LILACS databases. Twenty-five materials were found in seven national and international journals. It was demonstrated that scientific production approach several issues and there is a need for studies on the humanistic issues. It was concluded that the care of varocose ulcers is expressed in some aspects in nursing research, but that the matter is still poorly researched and that there is little qualitative research that address this content.

Epidemiological Data and Comorbidities of 428 Patients Hospitalized With Erysipelas

The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological data and the main comorbidities of patients with erysipelas admitted to a tertiary hospital. All patients admitted due to erysipelas during the period from 1999 to 2008 were included in a prospective and cross-sectional study. The Fisher exact test and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. A total of 428 individuals were hospitalized with 41 rehospitalizations; 51.17% of the patients were women, the mean age was 58.6 years. The main comorbidities were hypertension (51.6%), diabetes mellitus (41.6%), chronic venous insufficiency (36.2%), other cardiovascular diseases (33.2%) including angina, peripheral arterial insufficiency, acute myocardial infarction, and strokes, obesity (12.1%), chronic renal failure (6.8%), neoplasms (4.9%), cirrhosis (4.9%), chronic lymphedema (4.2%), and leg ulcers (2.6%). Erysipelas is a seasonal disease that affects adults and the elderly people, has a repetitive nature, and is associated with comorbidities.

Anticorpos anticardiolipinas em úlceras de perna

OBJETIVO: Verificar a prevalência de anticorpos anticardiolipinas IgG e IgM em pacientes com úlcera de perna e se os seus portadores podem ser identificados clinicamente. MÉTODOS: Estudaram-se 151 pacientes com úlcera de perna (81 venosas, 50 diabéticas e 20 arteriais) e 150 controles. Pesquisou-se, nos dois grupos, a presença de anticorpos anticardiolipina IgG e IgM pelo método de ELISA. No grupo úlcera foram coletados dados demográficos dos pacientes, de tamanho e número de úlceras e gravidade da dor medido por escala visual analógica. Os dados obtidos foram agrupados em tabelas de frequência e contingência. Adotou-se significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: Encontrou-se prevalência de anticorpos anticardiolipina de 7.2% (n=12) no grupo com úlceras e de 1.3% (n=2) no controle (p=0.01). Comparando-se a prevalência dos anticorpos anticardiolipina nos diferentes tipos de úlcera verificou-se aumento nas de origem venosa (p=0.02) e diabéticas (p=0.01), mas não nas arteriais (p=0.31) em relação à população controle. As úlceras de perna anticardiolipinas positivas não diferiram daquelas sem anticardiolipinas quanto a tamanho da ferida (p=0.6); gravidade da dor (p=0.67), número médio de úlceras (p=0.38), tempo de duração de doença (p= 0.59), gênero do paciente (p=0.98) e história de trombose prévia (p=0.69). CONCLUSÃO: Existe aumento de prevalência de anticorpos anticardiolipinas nos portadores de úlceras de perna venosas e diabéticas, mas não nas arteriais. As características clínicas das úlceras anticardiolipinas positivas não auxiliam na identificação desses pacientes.

Basal cell carcinoma is not granulation tissue in the venous leg ulcer

The authors present a case of a 76-year-old female with a 7-year history of a nonhealing leg ulcer. The wound surface had epithelial tissue present in a diffuse way with shiny granulations on parts of the edge of the ulcer. A biopsy of the ulcer edge was performed to study the reasons for the absence of response to treatment and the presence of abnormal granulation tissue. The result showed the presence of a basal cell carcinoma. The authors conclude that skin biopsy is very important in nonhealing chronic venous ulcers because carcinomas may mimic granulation tissue and complicate venous ulcers.

Cirurgia de varizes em regime de mutirão

CONTEXTO: A cirurgia de varizes de membros inferiores é um dos procedimentos mais realizados dentro do Sistema Único de Saúde, através dos Mutirões de Cirurgias Eletivas. No entanto, não há informações detalhadas sobre os resultados dessa iniciativa, especialmente com relação à população que se beneficia dos mutirões. OBJETIVO: Apresentar e discutir o perfil dos pacientes operados durante o mutirão de varizes realizado em instituição pública de saúde. MÉTODOS: Os pacientes foram selecionados a partir de um cadastro organizado pelo Ministério da Saúde para o programa de cirurgias eletivas, e não havia vínculo prévio com a instituição hospitalar. Foi aplicado um protocolo de avaliação objetiva com os dados clínicos e perfil demográfico dos pacientes. Os pacientes foram estagiados de acordo com a classificação CEAP (clínica, etiológica, anatômica e fisiopatológica). RESULTADOS: No período entre setembro de 2005 e janeiro de 2006, 100 pacientes foram submetidos a cirurgia (106 procedimentos), com predominância do sexo feminino (85% dos casos). A média de idade foi 35±9,8 anos. O grau de escolaridade predominante entre os pacientes foi o ensino fundamental, em 53% dos casos. As classes C2 (49,5%) e C3 (39%) foram as mais freqüentes na avaliação clínica dos membros inferiores (classificação CEAP). Foram realizadas 106 cirurgias (100 pacientes). A anestesia mais utilizada foi o bloqueio (93% dos procedimentos). Seis pacientes foram submetidos a procedimentos escalonados pelo grande volume de varizes de membros inferiores; 33 pacientes foram submetidos à safenectomia interna, sendo quatro safenectomias segmentares; e oito pacientes foram submetidos à safenectomia total bilateral. CONCLUSÃO: O perfil da população que se beneficiou dos mutirões sugerido neste trabalho é de pacientes jovens, do sexo feminino, com baixa escolaridade, sintomáticas do ponto de vista da doença venosa de membros inferiores, em estágios moderados da doença, especialmente nas classes C2 e C3 da CEAP, e que requerem cirurgias de médio e grande porte para o tratamento de suas patologias.