ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Acta Vulnologica 2009 June;7(2):55-64

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

A prospective randomized study on the treatment of venous leg ulcers by double elastic stockings

Campitiello F., Mancone M., Della Corte A., Fattopace A., Padovano Sorrentino V., Canonico S.

Dipartimento di Gerontologia Geriatria e Malattie del Metabolismo Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Seconda Università Degli Studi di Napoli Napoli, Italia

Aim. The use of elastic stockings, in the therapy of venous leg ulcers, was limited by the difficulty in putting on stockings and because the exudates of the ulcer might dirty the stockings. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the percentage of healing of patients with venous leg ulcers, treated by a system, that consists of elastic/antithrombus stocking and of second stockings of therapeutic compression.
Methods. 58 patients were treated with elastic/antithrombus stocking (Group A) and 62 patients were treated with the Charing Cross four-layer bandaging method (Group B). After 12 weeks of treatment, in Group A, ulcers were on the right leg in 39.65% of patients, on the left leg in 60.34% of cases, on the malleolus medialis in 67.24% and on the malleolus lateralis in 17.24%, on other sides in 15.51%. In Group B they were on right leg in 46.77% of patients, on the left leg in 53.23% of cases, on the malleolus medialis in 67.74%, on the malleolus lateralis in 17.74% and on other sides in 14.51% of cases.
Results. Complete healing was obtained in 34 patients (58, 62%) in Group A and in 35 patients (56, 45%) in Group B (P=0.81, range of confidence 95%). The percentage of patients without a complete healing but with reduction of the area of ulcer was higher in Group A (70, 8%) than in Group B (40, 7%) (Pearson’s c2 test, P=0.03).
Conclusion. The compression therapy by double elastic stockings has the advantage of being more easily applicable than bandaging, favouring self-management of ulcers by patients.